Almería has the highest rate of unemployment among migrant workers in
Andalucia - behind Malaga.

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The province has more than
130,000 immigrants, and recent
data for July show that 19,826
were unemployed. Despite this
figure, Almería has processed
only 226 cases of people who
wanted to benefit from the
Voluntary Return Plan which
allows them to return to their
countries of origin.

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If the options of working in
the province are difficult at
the moment, the low number
of people who want to return
voluntarily to their country goes
to show that expectations there
should be better.

SOL TIMES COSTA ALMERIA SALES HQ:

The majority of unemployed
belong to EU countries; the
sectors where there is higher
unemployment are construction,
agriculture and service sectors.

Tel: 950 430 820

OPEN: Mon to Thurs 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 4pm

The situation has certainly
changed recently; the 20,000
people who once left their
country to find work now find
themselves unemployed in
Almeria.

Those who have opted to
return have received 40% of
the payment of unemployment
benefit here, and the remaining
60% in their country of origin. In
addition, they have also been
able to seek additional aid to
facilitate travel to the country
of origin.

EDITOR - editor@soltimes.com DESIGN - production@soltimes.com

sales@soltimes.com
POSTAL ADDRESS: ROC PUBLISHING S.L., APDO. 242, 04800, ALBOX, ALMERIA
Sol Times Almeria is an independent of political parties, private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a news and information
service that is fair, accurate and balanced. Sol Times Almeria is an independent publication. Published weekly and produced exclusively in
Almeria. Sol Times News Group cannot be held responsible for claims made by advertisers, nor can it be held responsible for errors in
advertisements caused by poor quality text, photographs or layout instructions. Furthermore, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss
or damage resulting caused by any error, inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement.
Almeria Edition AL-344-2005.
Roquetas Edition AL 956-2010.

Of the 225 immigrants who
have opted for the Voluntary
Return Plan, 90% are in South

America, especially Ecuador
and Argentina, the rest from
Eastern European countries
outside the EU.
After a period of three years,
workers and workers who have
chosen to leave Almería may
request authorization to work
and live again in the province
and, likewise, have a prior right
to enter the annual quota of
non-EU foreign workers. People
who have taken voluntary return
and subsequently return to
Spain, regain, in addition, their
previous status as temporary
residents
or
permanent.
In
countries
where Spanish
co-operation
is
present,
guidance
and
support
to
facilitate socioe c o n o m i c
reintegration is
available and it
is perceived that
upon their return
people will be
able to better
contribute to the
development of
their countries,
allowing
them
to rejoin their
families and take
advantage
of
better
career
options
or

even create a business with
experience and qualifications
they have achieved in Spain.
To qualify for the Voluntary
Return Plan certain conditions
must be met. These include
being registered as unemployed
at the Employment Service and
to have previously been in legal
unemployment. In addition, the
applicant must undertake to
return to their home country no
later than 30 calendar days from
the date of the first payment of
the benefit and not return to
Spain within three years.

Swimmer dies
in sea off El
Campello beach
A bather lost his life on Friday 6th
August whilst out swimming in the sea
off the beach in El Campello (Alicante).
The victim, 77, was said to have been
accompanied by his daughter at the
time.
Witnesses said the accident ‘happened
very quickly’ and that ‘one minute he
was swimming, next minute he had
drowned’.
The causes of the man’s death, which
occurred just after 10.30hrs, are not
known. A post-mortem will be carried
out to ascertain whether the deceased,
a Spanish national, drowned or whether
he suffered a pre-existing illness such as
a heart condition.

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The Civil Protection service has warned
today that there is a high risk of forest
fires in Galicia, Andalucía, Asturias,
Extremadura, Canarias and Cantabria,
although the situation is not yet extreme.
There is a very high risk of
forest fires in the western
part of Galicia, the inland
areas of Asturias, Cadiz
and some areas of Cáceres
and Seville.
In the Canary Islands,
specifically in La Palma
and El Hierro, there will be
maximum risk this week.
People are being warned
not to light fires in the
mountains, or on any land
close to wooded areas
and to make sure that
their cigarette butts are
completely extinguished.
Throwing litter should
also be avoided, especially
glass bottles that can
magnify the sun’s rays and
cause fires.
Fruit farmers are being
reminded to be vigilant
when burning the stubble
in their fields.
The
Civil
Protection
service has also informed

More unstable weather
will be settling in on inland
areas this week, with the
possibility of localised
storms.
People in the affected
areas are being told
to cover up with light
clothing, eat light, regular
meals, avoid strenuous
exercise during the hottest
parts of the day and to
drink plenty of water.

Several more full days of
strike action are planned
for August, and workers are
threatening an indefinite
strike in September if
company bosses do not sit
down at the negotiating

table.
There will be further strike
action throughout the day
(and only a minimum service)
on August 13th, 14th, 15th,
16th, 21st, 29th and 31st and
on September 1st.
Auto Res, which belongs to
the Avanza group, has 400
employees, 270 of whom are
drivers.
Some of its most important
routes are the ones between
Madrid and a number of towns
along the Mediterranean
coast, like Valencia, Castellón,
Peñíscola, Benicasim and
Oropesa, as well as routes
between the capital and Vigo
and Pontevedra, in Galicia.

Africans sail
into Cabo de
Gata & El Ejido

Guardia Civil officers and coastguard
services have rescued 29 would-be migrants
attempting to sail into the coast of Almería
on two rafts.
They saw the first boat-load of immigrants,
all of whom are of north and sub-Saharan
African origin, at around 23.00hrs last night
around eight miles to the south-east of
Punta Polacra, near Cabo de Gata.
The next was intercepted near El Ejido
at 04.30hrs this morning, with 17 men on
board.
All are said to be in a good state of
health.

‘Green card’
marriage racket
disbanded

The mercury is also set
to rise, although not quite
so high, in parts of Galicia,
Castilla y León, Madrid,
Castilla
La-Manchaand
Andalucía.

Between 10,000 and 12,000 coach passengers
were affected today as Auto Res workers held their
first full day of strike action, with the threat of
further strikes in the coming weeks.

The unions called the
strike after company bosses
refused to negotiate with
them. 15 people were made
redundant in June and a 5%
salary cut was proposed,
rising to a cut of over 8% for
drivers.

Some 14,000 Spaniards hit by their country’s soaring rate of
unemployment will cross the French border to take part in the
grape-picking season, a Spanish union stated.

the public that the very
high
temperatures
in
the south-west of the
country today, especially
in Extremadura, where
temperatures of up to 40
degrees are expected, will
intensify the situation.

Over 10,000 Coach
Passengers Stranded
As Drivers Strike

Only 30% of coach services
were operated on Monday
9th August (the statutory
minimum level of service).

Jobless Spaniards
Turn To Grape Picking
In France

3

A racket thought to be behind hundreds
of ‘green card’ weddings in Madrid, Valencia
and throughout Catalunya has been broken
up.
The number of Spaniards heading
for France’s vineyards is up 3.7 percent
compared to 2009 -- an increase which
the union says has been spurred by Spain’s
unemployment, which has reached an EU
record high of 20.09 percent.
“In an economic and employment
situation such as ours, workers from
other industries are beginning to come
back to this refuge industry,” Ana Maria
Corral from the Spanish Union of Workers
said in a press conference.
Before 2006 an average of 11,000

Spaniards travelled to various parts
of France every year to pick grapes for
winemaking.
Since the economic slowdown,
Spaniards have been attracted by the
higher hourly wage for grape-picking in
France, which offers 8.86 euros (just over
11 dollars), compared to Spain’s 6.10
euros, according to unions.
The grape-pickers will start making their
way to France at the end of August and
start of September, staying between 20
to 25 days.

British
tourist sleep
walks off
balcony
Aled Thomas Davies, 28,
suffered severe head and facial
injuries and a broken leg after
plunging 35 feet from a third
floor window to the tarmac
below in the seaside resort of
Port d’Alcudia on the north of
the island. It is thought he got
out of bed, wandered around
the room then climbed over the
balcony while he was still asleep.
His girlfriend raised the
alarm at the Lago Garden
Hotel Apartments at 8.30 am
Wednesday morning. She told
police investigating the incident
that he regularly sleepwalks.
Mr Davies was treated at the
local hospital in Inca before
being transferred to the Son
Dureta hospital in the island’s
capital Palma. Doctors described
his condition as “very serious but
stable” and said he will undergo
surgery. It is feared that he could
lose his sight in one eye.
A spokesman for the British
Embassy in Madrid said: “We are
aware of the hospitalisation of a
British national in Majorca. Our
consular staff on the island are
providing assistance.”
The Civil Guard confirmed
that they have opened an
investigation: “We are looking
into the possibility that he fell
accidently from the balcony
during a sleep walking episode,”
said a spokesman at the police
station in Alcudia.

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National Police arrested 123 people,
including a lawyer of Colombian origin from
Terrassa (Barcelona) and a civil servant from
the registry office in Rubí (Barcelona).
The gang are said to have charged 3,000
euros to non-EU citizens to arrange a
wedding with a Spanish national, in order
to obtain residence in the country.
Investigations began a year ago when
an unusually high number of weddings
between Spaniards and foreign nationals
was detected in the area.
Police have not ruled out further arrests.

4

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

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Marbella Accused Of Pandering
To
Michelle
Obama
Michelle Obama and her nine-year-old daughter, Sasha, arrived in the
Costa del Sol amid complaints from neighbouring towns that tourist
authorities were fawning over the First Lady in an “undignified” way.
democracy,” he said.

His words highlighted a
growing polemic over the
arrival of Mrs Obama, who
checked into the five-star
Villa Padierna spa and golf
resort, reportedly on the
recommendation of close
friends.

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The wife and youngest
daughter of Barack Obama,
the US President, flew in from
Washington DC on Air Force
Two, along with a reported
70 secret service agents,
following days of fevered
speculation over the visit.
Tourism officials clamoured
to welcome the choice of
destination for the fourday “mother-daughter” visit
proclaiming that it signalled
Marbella’s return as a premier
holiday spot.

cane Suite

But some voiced complaints
over the special treatment
given to the First Lady - roads
were paved in honour of her
arrival and the local beach
closed to the public in case

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she or her daughter felt like
going for a swim.
“New trees have suddenly
gone in, roads paved, and
flowers planted. All ahead
of the four-day visit - they’re
bending over backwards.” said
Chris Chaplow, a local resident
and director of Andalucia.
com, an independent tourism
website for the area.
Socialist congressman, Juan
Luis Rascon, from Andalucian
city of Cordoba condemned
the behaviour, writing on his
blog that Spaniards should be
“more natural and behave less
like hicks.”
“Idolatry and servility do
not sit well with a dignified

beach of San Juan yesterday morning, and a
further three being found out at sea on July
28th and 29th, two of them 20 miles off Cabo
de la Nao in Javea and the third off the coast
of Calpe.

Guardia Civil officers arrived on the scene
shortly afterwards to recover the body and
take it to the port of Altea, where police will
endeavour to identify it.

Furthermore, a five-metre boat with no
passengers on board was found off the coast
of Altea last Tuesday.

He had suffered 95 per cent burns and was
airlifted to Sevilla’s Virgen del Rocío hospital after
the plant blew up.

tall cabinet & basket storage

The body of another worker was found in the
refinery immediately after the explosion, and two
injured members of staff were taken to the Juan
Ramón Jiménez hospital in Huelva city, where they
remain stable but with little hope of recovery.
They are waiting to be transferred to the burns
unit at the Sevilla hospital where their colleague
died today.

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A police helicopter buzzed
overhead and the area was
marked by the presence of
an estimated 250 members of
Spanish police forces drafted
in to ensure security of Mrs
Obama and her daughter
until they leave

The fifth body, that of a man, was
discovered at 8.30pm on Sunday 8th August
by holidaymakers in a pleasure craft, who
immediately alerted the authorities, providing
them with exact co-ordinates.

As of Friday 6th August, reports indicate that
a second seriously-injured worker has died
following the massive explosion at the CEPSA
refinery in Palos de la Frontera (Huelva) on 4th
August.

65€

Around the hotel where Mrs
Obama is staying, streets were
closed off and local residents
were prevented from parking
their cars throughout the
duration of the visit.

Altea, bringing the total number of corpses to have been found in the
waters off Alicante in the last fortnight to five.

Second death
in CEPSA plant
explosion

only

The town’s head of tourism
attempted to play down
the visit and countered
that the town was behaving
“completely normally” despite
the important visitor.

Fifth
Body Found Off Altea Coast
A badly decomposed body has been found two miles off the coast of

This is the fifth body found in waters off
the province of Alicante in the last fortnight,
with another one being found floating off the

Basket
Storage

A huge sign at the entrance
to Marbella emblazoned
with the words “Welcome
Obama Family. Thank you
for choosing Marbella,” was
removed the eve of the visit
after complaints that it was
“tacky”.

CEPSA has sent out its ‘greatest sympathy’ to the
family members of the victims and says it is willing
to cooperate with any investigations into the
cause of the explosion.
The flames were brought under control at
around 15.10hrs yesterday.

Officers from the Guardia Civil are now
examining documents and clothing found
on board the boat to see if the bodies are
connected to the vessel in any way.

Ruins of dwelling
from High Roman
Empire found
The remains of a house built in the time of the
High Roman Empire (roughly between one and
two centuries A.D.) have been found under the
main square in Segovia.
The Roman ruins were discovered during the
course of excavation work in the Plaza Mayor,
which had already revealed a 17th century house.
The archeologists in charge of the excavation,
Clara Martín and Txemi Labrador, are working on
the hypothesis that the building formed part of a
“domus” or series of living quarters, rather than
a monument. One of the rooms revealed by the
archaeologists’ dig boasts murals and a clay floor
and is one of the few ruins from the High Roman
era to have been found in tact in Segovia.
These new findings, coupled with other Roman
ruins recently discovered around the Plaza de
Guevara, have brought shape to Segovia as a
Roman settlement at the highest and flattest part
of the town, a much richer view of the historic
town than was previously available looking at the
famous aqueduct alone.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

Air-traffic Controllers Offered
200,000€
If
Strike
Called
Off
AENA bosses have offered striking air-traffic controllers an
average salary of 200,000 euros a year until 2013 on the condition
that they change their minds about downing tools.

They met with members of
the air-traffic controllers’ union,
USCA, on the afternoon of 4th
August to negotiate.

The airline governing body,
AENA – which is part of the
ministry of public works – has
offered salaries ‘way above
staff’s European colleagues’ in a
bid to make them re-think.
But air-traffic controllers, who
have threatened to strike for
up to three days starting from
either August 18 or 20 – to be
confirmed – say AENA has been

attempting to bribe them with
higher pay and failing to address
their real concerns.

around an hour a week from
the previous 1,800 hours a year
(on average, 35 hours a week).

These include poor shift
management, meaning long
hours without a break, and the
fact that they want to be given
the right to retire early at the
age of 57.

The plan will include fixed
rest periods, programming of
working days or nights and 24hour shift sharing, as well as
bonuses for productivity.

AENA has attempted to
address working times by
restricting annual hours to
1,670, with a further 80 hours’
overtime.

If the strike goes ahead, it
could cost airlines millions of
euros and leave holidaymakers
heading for the Mediterranean
this summer having to forego
their trips.

This supposes a reduction of

Spain Clears Captain Of US
Treasure Hunting Ship
A Spanish court has cleared the captain of the Odyssey Explorer
ship of charges relating to the dispute over priceless treasure
recovered from a 19th century shipwreck, the Florida-based
company said.

A court in Algeciras, Spain found Captain Sterling
Vorus innocent of charges that he obstructed
Spanish police when they boarded the Odyssey
Explorer in 2007.
“The Spanish court ruled that Spanish officials
did not have proper authorization to board or
search Odyssey’s ship,” the company, Odyssey
Marine Exploration Inc., said in a statement.
According to Spanish law, police are prevented
“from boarding or searching foreign ships
without authorization of the captain or the
vessel’s flag state, which was never obtained,” so
Vorus’s actions “did not rise to the level of illicit
conduct.”
The incident took place after the Odyssey
recovered a priceless trove from a sunken 19th
century ship they code-named the “Black Swan.”

In May 2007 the Tampa, Floridabased company announced it
had found half a million silver
coins and hundreds of gold
objects from the ship, which
went down in 1804, in the
Atlantic Ocean off the Strait of
Gibraltar.
Spain’s suspicions were raised
when the company discreetly
shipped its massive find to the
United States via the Britishowned port of Gibraltar.
Madrid
contested
the
company’s claim to the wreck
in a US court in Florida, arguing
that if it was a Spanish military
vessel -- instead of a private
commercial ship -- or if it was
located in Spanish waters,
any treasure would belong to

Spain.
Odyssey said the treasure was found in
“international waters in the Atlantic Ocean,”
but never gave an exact location citing security
concerns.
Spain has identified the ship as the Our Lady of
Mercedes. When the Mercedes sank in 1804 it led
Spain to declare war on Britain and re-enter the
Napoleonic Wars.
In December a Florida court ruled that Odyssey
must return the treasure to Spain, but Odyssey
has appealed the ruling.
The company “has consistently acted legally and
appropriately in accordance with all laws and
regulations related to the ‘Black Swan’ arrest and
recovery,” Odyssey said.

Spanish Official
Unemployment
Eases Further In July

The number of people unemployed in Spain,
which has the highest rate in the eurozone,
fell for the fourth month running in July as the
tourism industry hired workers for the summer,
the government stated on 3rd August.
At the end of July there
were 3.9 million registered
unemployed, 73,790 fewer
than in June, the labour
ministry said.
It
was
the
fourth
month running of falling
unemployment. A drop in
April had reversed an eightmonth upwards spiral.
The service sector showed
the largest fall, down 44,496,
amid demand by the tourism
industry.
The ministry does not provide
a jobless rate, but the National
Statistics Institute, which uses
a different calculation method
from the labour ministry
method, said on Friday that
the rate in the second quarter
had risen to 20.09 percent in
the second quarter from 20.05
percent in the first.
It is the highest rate in the 16member eurozone and more
than double the 9.6 percent
average of the whole European
Union.
The rise in the overall rate
despite the lower monthly
figures is attributed to the
country’s growing working-age
population.
The high rate means that the

60% Of
Retirees
Want To
Work
Beyond 65
Some 60% of 2,500 over-65s
interviewed claim they would
like to be able to carry on
working in paid employment.
Most
value
their
independence very highly, with
87 per cent saying they prefer
to live in their own homes even
if this means living alone.
In fact, only 16 per cent of
the elderly live alone, and they
are mostly women living in rural
locations.
Head of the institute of the
elderly and social services,
Francisco Moza, says the same
questionnaire was carried out
in 1993 and that ‘things have
changed a lot’ since then.

Spanish government faces
an even bigger bill for jobless
benefits as it tries to rein in
a public deficit that hit 11.2
percent of output last year.
Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero said on
Friday that unemployment “is
the key issue we still have to
tackle.”
The
Spanish
economy,
Europe’s fifth-biggest, slumped
into recession in 2008 owing
to the collapse of a property
boom which had long fuelled
growth.

He said the over-65s were
becoming more and more
active, in better health, and
were mainly more highly
qualified.
“We should not waste
what these people still have
to offer – aside from just
being babysitters for the
grandchildren,” Moza states.
This said, around 70 per cent
of over-65s regularly look after
their grandchildren, often
to a greater extent than the
children’s own parents do.

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Items being accepted for
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Approx 250 lots per auction.
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all day Wednesday. Auction starts prompt at 5pm
Large quantities or awkward items can now be collected

Britain is set to challenge European Union salaries after the number of its most senior officials, earning up to £180,000, rose to
100 at a time of deep cuts to national public sector budgets

The European Commission has
been accused of breaking its
own rules over the promotions of
eurocrats who are paid more than
David Cameron. Britain is already
trying to block a Commission
demand for a six per cent
budget rise next year and is now
demanding a review of how the EU
rewards its staff.

Sport

“Given the current economic
and financial situation, the EU
institutions need to ensure that
they are not out of step with the
situation across the continent,
where millions of employees have

faced pay cuts or even lost their
jobs in recent months,” said a
British diplomat.
The latest promotions bring the
number of Commission director
generals to 100, an increase of
a fifth over the last three years,
breaking a target ceiling for the
top post set at 87.
Over the same period the ranks
of Commission directors, officials
who also earn more than Britain’s
Prime Minister, has reached 313,
25 over the planned number. It
means that 997 European civil
servants are earning £146,267 to

£179,703. Mr Cameron’s annual
income is £142,500. Inge Grassle, a
senior German Christian Democrat
MEP, compared the Commission
to a “self-service shop” where
officials can pick senior job grades
off the shelf. She also accused of
deliberately approving the latest
promotions during the summer
recess to avoid them being spotted
by MEPs and the public.

She said: “While member states
are cutting down their budgets
and slashing posts - roughly
10,000 have gone in the German
Federal administration alone - the

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EU is increasing the number of
‘thoroughbred’ officials.”

A Commission spokesman said
the latest round of promotions
were part of EU plans to step up
fiscal “surveillance” to make sure
governments were cutting their
national “sovereign” budgets after
the Greek debt crisis.
”To broaden and deepen country
surveillance, it is necessary to
dedicate more resources to it,” he
added.
Almost 40 Brussels posts have
even been created to check that

governments, including Britain, are
implementing domestic austerity
programmes. In 2010, the British
taxpayer’s share of the £6.5 billion
cost of the Brussels bureaucracy
amounted to £891 million, a bill
that is projected to rise 4.5 per
cent next year.
Godfrey Bloom, a Ukip MEP for
Yorkshire, said: “This is further
evidence that the eurocrats live
in a different solar system to the
rest of us. The taxpayer lives on
the planet ‘austerity’, the eurocrat
circles on one of the moons of the
great gas giant, ‘waste’.”

‘Hypocrisy’ Of Speeding
Middle-class Motorists

Speeding motorists are hypocrites guilty of “middle class anti-social
behaviour” who believe they can get away with breaking the law, one of
the country’s longest serving chief constables has claimed

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Julie Spence, the outgoing head of
Cambridgeshire police, says drivers consider
speeding as acceptable and change their minds
only if they lose a child in a road accident.

the head of the Association of Chief Police
Officers, who became the first senior officer
to suggest that front line policing could be
undermined.

She claims, during an interview with the
Telegraph, that the biggest problem perceived
by the public in her county is speeding drivers
in rural areas and illegal parking by parents
outside schools: “Speeding is middle-class
anti-social behaviour,” she says. “People think
we should be able to get away with it. They
wouldn’t tolerate lawbreaking by somebody
else but they do it themselves without thinking.
It all seems OK until something tragic happens,
like their child dies because of a road traffic
accident.”

But it is her criticism of motorists that is likely
to cause controversy. Many motorists who are
caught speeding complain that they are “soft”
targets used to produce funds — speeding
fines raise about £100 million a year — and
that the police should be targeting serious
criminals instead.

Mrs Spence says that while anti-social
behaviour is usually defined as rowdy youths
or vandalism, “for too many it is the antics of
drivers who refuse to accept that speed limit
signs apply to them.

Mrs Spence’s comments on the potential
impact of spending cuts are the most outspoken
yet by a serving officer. Chief constables fear
that their budgets could be cut by up to 25
per cent in the autumn spending review. “That
scenario is ‘undoable’ — just not achievable if
you want any semblance of a police service,”
says Mrs Spence.

“Driving without care or consideration for
other road users is probably among the worst
kind of anti-social behaviour in its truest sense,
because serious offenders can, and do, kill,”
she says.
Mrs Spence, an outspoken police chief who
has claimed that much of police time is spent
on “social work”, says many social problems
in the past decade stem from a “have-it-all”
society.
“Easy credit, drink as much as you can, have
it when you want, buy this, buy that and buy
the other,” she says. “This irresponsibility costs
— you play while others pay — and I think we
have got to the point where we need to have
a little more responsibility.

All areas covered. Fully legal established in 2004

“With the public purse in such dire straits
we need a responsible public who don’t cost
public services unnecessarily.”

Email: themetalworks@hotmail.co.uk

Mrs Spence warns that cuts to police forces
could lead to an “anorexic” service. In voicing
fears about the impact of the Government’s
austerity drive, she is following Sir Hugh Orde,

Call Keith: 638 900 949

Exceeding the speed limit or going too fast
for conditions was reported as a factor in 4,187
deaths and serious injuries in 2009, according
to the Department for Transport.

The effects of the cuts are magnified in
smaller county forces such as Cambridgeshire,
which has a £130 million budget and 2,500
officers and staff.
Mrs Spence says some of the better-funded
forces have to take a bigger proportion of the
cuts to save the 16 whose funding is under the
national average.
She also suggests that officers would be
willing to take a pay cut, or a change in their
rates of overtime and allowances, if it meant
saving jobs.
“Talking to officers and staff they do not like
it, but they’d rather jobs were kept and pay
was reduced,” she says.
“Everyone understands the economic climate
we’re in and they recognise they have a role in
trying to support the country out of it.”

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

Barnardo’s Says Court Delays Damage Children

Vulnerable children are being “damaged” by delays in care proceedings in England and Wales, a charity has said.

Barnardo’s wants to see a 30-week limit
after figures showed children waited
an average of 57 weeks - sometimes in
abusive homes - for county courts to
make care or supervision orders.
In family courts, proceedings took an
average of 45 weeks, it said.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said
the government was “committed to
reducing unnecessary delays”.
Barnardo’s said court data showed
that at the end of 2009 there were 50%
more unresolved care proceedings
cases than at the end of 2008.

According to the Children and Family
Court Advisory and Support Service
(Cafcass) in England, new applications
accounted for less than half of this
increase - suggesting the courts were
taking longer to close a significant
number of cases, it argued.
Barnardo’s chief executive Martin
Narey said uncertainty had spread
through family courts, with “additional,
sequential expert assessments being
routinely ordered”.
“This, paired with the evident lack of
credence given to social workers, is
causing unnecessary delay,” he said.

“The courts need urgently to reflect
on the damage these delays are having
on extremely vulnerable children.”
He said a year of a child’s life was “an
inordinate amount of time for them to
be trapped in desperate limbo, unclear
of their future and very possibly at
risk”.
“During this time, these children
might remain at home with neglectful
or abusive birth families or be living
in emergency foster care, expected
to settle with families they may
subsequently have to leave.

The coalition said on Sunday 8th August that
the benefit would not go, after health minister
Anne Milton suggested plans for such a move
were in place.

might be better
used to deliver the
same objective by
different means.

Mr Dorrell, an ex-health secretary, said it had
been judged the political risk “didn’t merit the
rewards”.

“It was a proposal
that
was
being
discussed
at
a
junior
level
in
the
government.
Downing
Street...
clearly reached the
conclusion...
that
the [political] risks
didn’t merit the
reward.

He added that the proposal had been
discussed only at a “junior level”.
The Nursery Milk scheme allows children
under five in approved day care to receive
189ml (1/3 pint) of milk each day free of
charge.
It dates back to 1940, when milk was issued
to pregnant women and young children to
protect them against wartime food shortages.
In a letter to the Scottish government, Mrs
Milton had said the milk scheme was too
expensive - costing almost £50m this year - and
the coalition was considering increasing the
value of Healthy Start vouchers for the poorest
families instead.
She said there was no evidence the scheme
improved health and that the government
was looking at abolishing it by April 2011. But
Downing Street later ruled this out.
Mr Dorrell, who is chairman of the Commons
health select committee, told BBC Radio
4’s Today programme: “This was a proposal
from Anne Milton suggesting that this money

“All life, not just
politics, is about
making sometimes
difficult choices. This
was a suggestion
that there was £50m
spent in providing
free milk for under-five-year-olds.
“Could that be better spent to deliver the
objective that we all share, which is to ensure
that there is the best possible healthy start for
all children, but perhaps particularly children
from low-income backgrounds?
“If you read the correspondence it’s
absolutely clear that everybody was seeking to
deliver that objective.”

Eurotunnel is investigating after passengers
were taken from Folkestone to France and
back again without being able to get off the
train.

one of the wagons was left empty.

Seven vehicles were left on the train on
Saturday because staff forgot to unload one
of the wagons.

Train crews realised what had happened
while they were on the way back to Kent and
made an announcement but were not able to
do anything until they got back to Folkestone.

The error occurred after a fuel spill meant

Councils In England
Offered New Homes Bonus

Councils in England are to be offered extra money for every newlybuilt home, as part of a government programme aimed at easing
housing shortages.

Under the New Homes
Bonus
scheme
the
government will match the
council tax raised on each
new house for six years.
Housing Minister Grant
Shapps said action was
needed as home building
was at its lowest level since
the 1920s.
Shadow housing minister
John Healey described the
announcement as a con and
said the scheme would cost
billions.
Mr Shapps said: “We will
not tell communities how or
where to build. But the New
Homes Bonus will ensure
that those communities
that go for growth reap the
benefits of development,
not just the costs. With house
building falling to its lowest
level since 1924 under the
previous government, action
is needed now to build the
homes the country needs.”
According to Mr Shapps the
current arrangement does
not help residents to get the
building projects that they
need in their communities.
“We think this topdown system which pitted
communities
against
developers meant they
spent loads of time in court
and at planning appeals. We
think that’s crazy.

“And a better system is to
get people actually saying
there’s something in it for
our area - we can have a
new swimming pool, or town
centre, or something that we
want in our area if we allow
some house building to go
ahead. That rebalances the
argument and we believe
they will build more homes”.
There were 120,000 homes
built last year and there are
4.5m people in England who
are on council waiting lists.
BBC
correspondent
Graham Satchell said the
announcement
offers
an incentive to local
authorities. For every new
home built the government
will match the council tax
raised on each new house
for a period of six years - for
a band D home that would
be around £1400. And local
authorities are expected to
have control over how they
spend the money.
But Labour’s Mr Healey
said: “The cost will run into
billions, met mainly - as Tory
proposals indicated before
the election - by existing
grants to local councils.
Given the potential impact
on essential local services,
we could quite literally
see government robbing
Peterborough to pay Poole.”

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When the train reached Calais, staff unloaded
the front cars but did not realise there were
more cars behind the empty wagon.

Not everything in life
makes perfect sense. For
instance, why is it that weeds
grow all the year round,
while the rest of the garden
plants have ‘seasons’? Why
do creepy-crawlies always
head straight for the person
who is most scared of them?
And most worryingly, how
is it that we don’t get thrown
off the world as it spins in
space?

But these idiosyncrasies
are part of the charm of a
rich and varied universe;
if we could account for
everything with rationality,
apply the laws of logic to
each and every response,
I feel our lives would be
dull, predictable, without
spontaneity.
We recently did our bit for spontaneity. We crossed
from the Correos side of Albox to the Mercadona side,
hardly giving the splendiferous new bridge a glance.
We are so used to seeing it sitting in pointless and halffinished grandeur over the rambla that we have given

up encouraging ourselves with “It’ll be nice when it’s
finished!”
But hold the front page! It is finished. Well, sort of! To be
exact, the bridge itself is finished, it’s just lacking a bit at
either end.
We reached the roundabout - all pristine black tarmac
and perfectly circular - and felt compelled to enjoy the
million-euro’d magnificence of the bridge itself. Sedately
and with due reverence we drove ‘Del’ along its length,
circumnavigated the perfectly circular roundabout at the
other end, and proceeded back to the Point A from which
we had so recently departed.
Of course, I am overwhelmed by the bridge’s artistic
impact. It would be rude not to be, but as we drove
away the unspoken thought hovered in the air between
us – Does Albox, which already has two bridges within
spitting distance of each other, really need a third?
However, the bridge has proved to be of some worth. As
we reached home, our neighbours greeted us excitedly
with ‘Have you been over the new bridge yet?’
It seems that we are not the only ones who have enjoyed
a brief moment of purely pointless pleasure traversing its
virgin length!

By Jos Biggs
Send us your thoughts on the new bridge
in Albox to editor@soltimes.com
(Photo courtesy of http://albox.mforos.com)

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR ‘SPANISH EYE’

www.lowcostcallsspain.com

Leon Cazador is half-English, half-Spanish and wholly
against the ungodly. Read his tales and glean insight
into his past and the people with whom he rubbed
shoulders; his connections run wide and deep. Dive
into his fascinating stories, based on real events.
Cazador translated into English means hunter.
‘The Spanish sounds less pretentious, I think,’ he
says. He is indeed a man driven to hunt down felons
of all kinds, to redress the balance of good against
evil.

Sometimes, Cazador operates in disguise under
several aliases, among them Carlos Ortiz Santos, a
modern day Simon Templar. He combats drug-traffickers,
grave robbers, al-Qaeda
infiltrators and conmen.
Dodgy Spanish developers
and shady expat Englishmen
face his wrath, while traders
in human beings, stolen
vehicles and endangered
species meet their match.
Kidnappers, crooked mayors
and conniving Lotharios
come within his orbit of ire.

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In his adventurous life,
he has witnessed many
travesties of justice so, as
a private investigator, he
uses his considerable skills
to right wrongs in the most
clever and unexpected of
ways. Leon Cazador fights
injustice in all its forms and
often metes out his own
rough justice. It’s what he
does.

Nik Morton started
writing Cazador’s stories
in 2005 and they’ve
been
published
in
several magazines and a
couple have won awards. All
the stories for this collection have been revised and enlarged.
‘Cazador has plenty more tales to tell,’ Nik says adding, ‘At
our first meeting, Cazador said, “When I was growing up in
England, I never imagined there would be no-go areas in those
great cities, places where the shadow of light falls on streets
and minds. At weekends, some sections of many towns seem
to be under siege.”
Now that he has returned to live in Spain, Cazador finds
that it is not so bad here, though he admits that he has seen
many changes over the last thirty years, most of them good,
yet some to be deplored. ‘It is heartening to see that family
cohesion is still strong in most areas, but even that age-old
stability is under threat. Even so, most nights you can stroll
through the streets and feel safe here in Spain.’
Expat Nik Morton’s tenth book is just out. Spanish Eye has
been published by Solstice Publishing as an e-book. It can
be obtained online from
the publisher or you can get
the Kindle version, which
is available at amazon.com
(231KB), ASIN B003UNKYW8
for about 4 euros. The book
is bound to appeal to readers
on the Costas as it’s set
there and features 21 tales
from Leon Cazador, Private
Investigator.

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The Solstice editor remarks,
‘You are an amazing storyteller
and put together a short story
better than anyone I have
read in quite a while. Your
book is a joy to read!’ While a
review states, the stories are
‘as thought provoking as they
are entertaining.’
If you don’t have a Kindle,
you can download for free the
Kindle for PC which enables
you to read e-books on your
computer screen.

www.soltimes.com

n
i
e
m
i
T
a
fiest
Almeria

The Almería Feria lasts
ten days 17-26th August
and is divided into
the daytime Feria del
Mediodía, which takes
place in the city centre,
and the nocturnal Feria de
la Noche, with a wide array
of pavilions.

The residents of Almería enjoy their fiesta
immensely, laughing, eating, drinking and
generally having a good time surrounded
by family and friends.

the “Real” fair
ground is the perfect place to have fun
with a whole range of attractions, stalls
and marquees.

Celebrated in honour of the Virgen
del Mar, patron saint of the city, the
celebrations has been designated Fiesta
of International Tourist Interest.

To get to the feria, there are special city
bus services that stop right at the fair
ground in the evening. Usually running
into the early hours, they depart from
the city centre: ‘Compañía de María’ and
‘Paseo de Almería’ – and will cost no
more than 1€!

Floral offerings in honour of the Virgin
combine with flamenco music and
bullfighting during the day. By night,

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AWNINGS
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DIRECT FROM
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MANUFACTURERS
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August 15th has a special meaning for the people of Cómpeta. First
the local people pay tribute to the Patron of the village, Our Lady of • Many colours & styles
the Assumption. The date was also always the one the agricultural
workers said farewell and left for the grape harvest. However, what • All areas covered
was a spontaneous celebration in 1974 has become over the years a
typical festival in Cómpeta. All this thanks to Aurelio Fernández Navas, • Signwriting service
a local man who gave the wine that was drunk in the village on that
night.
• All products are of the
Today, the celebrations are one of the main tourist attractions in
summer and it has earned Internatinal fame. The activities associated
highest quality
with the Noche de Vino (Night of Wine) include a cultural side where
artists, poets and writers participate. There are also flamenco singers
and dance groups and finally what gave ride to the festival at first: you
can try the delicious muscatel wine that is produced in the area!
Each year a mural depicting the festival is made. The morning festivities
take place in the Plaza de la Vendimia. At night the fun moves on to the
Plaza Almijara where a stage in the style of an Andalusian farmstead is
installed and the different artists and folk groups perform.

A magical night, full of expectations!
For more information visit
www.competa.es

Today the Bank of England has kept interest
rates at a record low of 0.5%, and announced
no new quantiative easing measures. The
decision was expected by most UK economists
and comes after Mervyn King, the Governor of
the Bank of England, has repeated comments
that the UK recovery is still fragile.
Mr. King said that reluctance on the part
of UK banks to lend to British businesses,
combined with a weakness in export markets
which are crucial to the UK, are a threat to the
country’s emergency from the economic crisis.
The Governor has said that the focus should
be on ‘the appropriate degree of stimulus, not
about applying the brakes’.
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) does
not seem to be influenced by the UK’s 1.1%
advance between the months of April and June,
with growth widely expected to fall off in the
second half of 2010, as government spending
cuts come into play and banks continue to
withhold lending to businesses. The MPC has
maintained a loose approach to policy, despite
encouraging signs of economic growth and no
sign of meeting the 2% inflation target, with
the consumer prices index standing at 3%
since the beginning of 2010.
The European Central Bank also left its main
interest rate unchanged on Thursday at a record
low of 1 per cent for the 15th consecutive
month. This decision was expected as Euro
zone inflation has picked up recently but at 1.7

per cent in July was within the ECB’s target
of an annual rate “below but close” to 2 per
cent.
With the economic recovery across the 16country region remaining weak, inflationary
pressures in the pipeline appear firmly under
control, and financial markets have not priced
in a rise in ECB interest rates until well into
2011.
Extended periods of unchanged interest rates
have become part of the ECB’s tradition since
it was formed 12 years ago. The main policy
rate was left unchanged at 2 per cent for more
than two years prior to December 2005, when
the ECB last started a policy tightening cycle.
Early last year, as the global economic crisis
intensified, the ECB slashed official borrowing
costs further and faster than ever before, and
also started pumping large amounts of liquidity
into the euro zone banking system. But
financial markets still believe the next move
by the ECB will be to tighten monetary policy.
The euro zone’s monetary guardian has voiced
little concern about deflation in continental
Europe, and after a tense few months Europe’s
monetary union appears to have stabilised.
The contents of this report are for
information purposes only. It is not intended
as a recommendation to trade or a solicitation
for funds. Currencies Direct cannot be
held responsible for any loss or damages
arising from any action taken following
consideration of this information.
Information provided by Currencies Direct,
leading providers of foreign exchange. Call to
find out how we can help you get the best rates
and save your transfer fees. Contact the Mojácar
office on 950 478 914 or 0871 218 5001 from the
UK or email almeria@currenciesdirect.com

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Scientists Reveal Why It Is Impossible To
Get That Perfect All-Over Tan

From spending hours in the park to holidaying in exotic climes, every
year thousands pursue an elusive all-over sun-kissed glow. Now
scientists say their attempts may have been in vain because an even
tan is impossible to achieve.
Researchers at the University of
Edinburgh found some body areas
are much more resistant to tanning
than others. The findings show that
your bottom is much more resistant
to sunshine and when it does go red
it tans less well than other areas.
It also found that people with no
freckles tanned more easily than
those with freckling.
The study - funded by the Medical
Research Council - represents the first
time that the depth of a person’s tan,
and not just skin redness, has been
quantified.
Scientists carried out the study to try
and solve the puzzle of why different
types of skin cancer tend to be found
in different parts of the body, given
that they are all caused by exposure

to sunshine.
The team aimed to identify whether
this is linked to variations in the way
different parts of the body develop
a tan.
The team analysed the skin of 100
volunteers, who were exposed to
six dose of UVB on two areas of their
body - their back and their buttocks.
The volunteers were given an
injection to minimise the rush of
blood that naturally occurs after the
skin is exposed to sunlight within the
first 24 hours.
Researchers say this redness is often
confused with the start of tanning,
but in fact is the skin’s signal that it
has been damaged.
After seven days, the volunteers’

skin was analysed to find what colour
remained after the redness had died
down.
This colour - recognised as a suntan
- comes from the skin’s production of
melanin, a defence that blocks the
skin absorbing too much harmful UVB
radiation.
Study leader Professor Jonathan
Reessor said: ‘One of the real puzzles
about melanoma is why the numbers
of tumours differ so much depending
on body site. Our work shows that
in one sense we are all made up of
different units of skin, which respond
differently to sunshine, and which
all may afford different degrees of
protection against the harmful effects
of sunshine.’

Paramedic saves
premature baby’s life
using RUBBISH BAG as
make-shift incubator
A paramedic was praised for his quick-thinking after he saved
the life of a baby girl born 14 weeks premature.
Emily Thomlinson, 29, gave birth to tiny Sophie who weighed
just 1Ib 15oz as she was being raced to hospital during freezing
blizzards earlier this year. The youngster desperately needed
an incubator to stabilise her condition and save her life, but
ambulances do not carry the bulky equipment as standard.
So quick-thinking paramedic Rob Dalziel, 37, wrapped her
in a yellow clinical waste bag - normally used for binning
hazardous medical supplies - to keep her moist He then used
towels to cocoon the youngster to stave off the icy cold and
create a make-shift incubator and keep her body temperature
at a safe level.
As the ambulance continued on to Royal Berkshire Hospital,
in Reading, he carefully forced air into her lungs to keep the
premature tot breathing.
She spent two weeks in the hospital’s ITU ‘Hot Room’ before
being transferred to the High Dependency Unit at John
Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. Four months later Sophie has now
been allowed home with mum Emily, a travel agent, and proud
father Peter Hazzard, 27, in Wheatley, Oxfordshire.
Emily said: ‘I was in a lot of pain and quite stressed not
knowing what was going to happen. Rob was very good at
calming me down and at reassuring me as much as possible.
‘Giving birth 14 weeks premature is not ideal, especially on
the side of the road. This is the last thing I expected when I got
pregnant. I’ve massive respect for the ambulance crew and
the NHS. They were really incredible. After Sophie was born
she gave a little cry, but it was another 10 minutes before we
reached the hospital.
‘I was really worried and I did not know if Sophie would still
be alive when we reached the hospital.
‘She is settling in really well at home , although she does have
some scar tissue on her lungs from when she was ventilated.
We had a glass of Champagne to celebrate and the last few
weeks have been brilliant.’

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I regularly find delays and hold-ups on my way to
appointments. I used to become stressed about this,
but no more. I have discovered another way.
Whenever
I
am faced with
an
unexpected
queue of traffic,
a series of traffic
lights all on red
or an unexpected
diversion, I remain
calm,
believing
that all will be
well. I tell myself
that I will arrive on
time and I always
do!
The secret, I
think, is really
believing that it is
all working for the
highest good. So
I tell myself that

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any hold-ups are saving me from an accident or other mishap that I
would become involved in if circumstances didn’t conspire to delay
me. I also tell myself that if I should end up being late, then so will
everyone else, or the meeting will have been re-scheduled for the
exact time that I arrive. It really does work.
Last week I experienced several delays en-route to a party which
resulted in my arriving at the same time as friends. Later in the week
the universe decided to give me a big test. I set off for a workshop
in an unfamiliar city having planned out my route carefully. I was
presented with a diversion at my first major turn, a road closure
and diversion at the second turn and, just half a mile from my
destination, yet another road closure and diversion! This was a big
test of my belief, but it didn’t waver and I arrived at exactly the time
specified!
What if this belief works for the whole of life and that delays and
challenges are just mechanisms to ensure that we arrive at the right
experience at the right time for our highest good and happiness?
How different would life feel if you could truly believe that?

Sue Courtney is a Personal Success Coach and
Stylist. You can contact her at her website
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her at sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk

abundant components in chilli peppers,
could reduce blood pressure in genetically
hypertensive rats,” said Zhiming Zhu of Third
Military Medical University in Chongqing,
China.

Scientists have discovered that the longterm ingestion of capsaicin, the ingredient in
chillies that makes them taste hot, can reduce
blood pressure – at least in rats.

The study, published in the journal Cell
Metabolism, suggests that capsaicin works by
activating a special “channel” in the lining of
the blood vessels called the transient receptor
potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). When the channel
is activated, it increases the production
of nitric oxide in the blood vessels that is
believed to protect against inflammation and
other vascular problems.

Previous studies have produced mixed results
when it comes to finding a link between hot
chillis and blood pressure, but this may be
because they were carried out over relatively
short time periods, the scientists said.
The latest findings are the first to establish
a link between the ingestion of capsaicin
over a longer period of time and a
subsequent lowering of blood pressure in
animals genetically predisposed to having
hypertension.
“We found that long-term dietary
consumption of capsaicin, one of the most

Prices are subject to change without notification. Please confirm on booking. We reserve the right to withdraw offers at any time.

The scientists said the study on the rats
now needs to be confirmed by analysing any
epidemiological association between eating
chilli peppers and blood pressure. Dr Zhu
said one clue came from China, where the
prevalence of hypertension is greater than
20 per cent in the north-eastern regions of
the country, but between 10 and 14 per cent
in souther-western regions such as Sichuan
where spicy food is more
commonly eaten.

“People in these regions like
to eat hot and spicy foods
with a lot of chilli peppers.
For example, a very famous
local food in my hometown,
Chongqing, is the spicy hot
pot,” Dr Zhu said.
He added that eating
hot, spicy food may not be
necessary to gain the benefits
of chillis because similar
compounds are present in
sweet peppers. There is, for
instance, a mild Japanese
pepper, which contains a
compound called capsinoid
that is closely related to
capsaicin. “Limited studies
show that these capsinoids
produce effects similar to
capsaicin. I believe that some
people can adopt this sweet
pepper,” Dr Zhu said.

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

q&A

I am an avid holiday swimmer, but find just two
weeks of daily dips in the sea or
pool is all it takes to wreck the
condition of my hair. What do
you recommend?

]My best bit of advice is simply to wet your hair
with fresh water before you take a dip. Your hair
is like a sponge, so once it’s saturated it won’t be
able to absorb as much chlorinated water.
If there are no showers on the beach, take a
bottle of water with you ~ both tap or carbonated
will do the trick.
Salt water and chlorine can discolour and weaken
hair long term, so invest in haircare products that

13

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will rinse them out.
Opt for ranges formulated for the beach
- as well as protecting hair from the ravages
of the sun’s UV rays, they contain special
ingredients to remove chlorine and salt water.
Favourite ranges include:
Kérastase Soleil; Phyto Plage; L’Oréal
Professionnel Série Expert and Mark Hill
Holiday Hair....all available online or from
good chemists (Lorca, Almeria, Murcia)

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Along with friends and colleagues from San
Pedro, we waited with anticipation, to our trip
on the “Land Train”, up the Sierra Minera, to be
one of the first groups, to visit the Agrupa Vicenta
Pyrite Mine. We were booked on the 10.45 Hrs.,
journey up “Road 33” to the mine.

The 10.15 “Train” was filling up nicely. Profesor
Jose’ Manteca, from the Department de Ingenieria
Minera, Geolo’gica y Cartografica, Universidad
Polite’cnica De Cartagena, who is a member of the
team that has put this Mining Park of La Union, on
“The Map”, along with the work on opening the
Agrupa Vicenta Mine to the public, greeted your
reporter, as he climbed into the carriage, that was
to take him, and his fellow travellers, to the mine
entrance, wishing us all a visit to remember. Yes
Profesor, but as it turned out, perhaps for the
wrong reasons!
It was 15 minutes later, that we had a feeling that
all was not as it should be. The “Land Train” arrived
back to the carpark, with the driver looking a little
shaken and concerned. It would seem that break
warning lights had indicated a problem! Not good
on a 1 in 6 incline!
Bonnet, or should we say, boiler and smoke
box up, and after much shaking of heads and
shoulder shrugging, it was decided that the “Train”
was going nowhere, apart from the repair shop!
“Never happened before” he stated.
“No problem” said Ana, our guide, “We have
sent for a Mini Coach, won’t be too long”. Just
under an hour later, we at last took our seats in
the Mini Coach, and made our way up to Agrupa
Vicenta, passing passengers from the first train of
the day, making their way down Road 33, on foot.
I caught a glimpse of the “Good Profesor”, in the
back seat of a private car, making it’s way back
down the dusty track, no cheery wave this time!
We, at last, arrived at the entrance to Mina
Agrupa Vicenta. Nothing could wrong now. Don’t
you belive it!
“Smoke Ana, can’t get rid of it!”. The problem now
it seemed, was the high-tech smoke generator,
installed to give the visitor, a view of what happend
after gunpowder is exploded deep underground.
The duty engineer for the day, explained that the
“Controlled” smoke injection, and gone out of

PICS: MAIN - Mine train departs for Agrupa Vicenta
Mine; Adit where I received “Encouragement” to
leave!

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control, and the mine had taken on the look of
a London pea-souper! “Can’t explain it” said the
engineer, “Never happened before”.
“We can go in”, said Ana, “But keep close to
me, and I’m sorry, but we can’t visit the lake level,
too dangerous”. We made our way down the
adit, to view the workings, but it was difficult to
appreciate, in the fog and gloom, all the hard
work, which I know, from a visit I made some
months ago, has been undertaken, to open this
mine to visitors to La Union.
I remained behind as our group made their
way back to the entrance and sunlight, to take a
couple of photographs. Film exposed, I headed
back through the fog, towards the adit entrance,
when I felt a hard push, in the small of my back,
just as if a hand had been thrust out, to urge me
on. I turned to tell my fellow visitor, that I was going
as fast as I could, in such conditions, but there was
no one there, I was alone! Now you tell me!!!!
Finally, returning to the car park, Ana offered all
visitors their money back, which was good of her.
As I made my way back to my car, my companion
asked if I was o.k., as I looked as if I had seen a
ghost!
“No, but have just felt one” I replied. “It’s ain’t
meant to be, it’s an omen, that’s what it is”

throughout the summer at
rohha, mojacar playa and the

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Mojacar Playa, near Harmony Gym

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www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

Life is a Runaway Bus

We all know that time passes more quickly
with the passage of years. Not seems to pass
more quickly mark you, but I truly believe that
time actually does pick up speed. I sometimes
want to shout for God to take his foot off
the accelerator and just cruise into the next
straight bit of road, but I know it would have
no effect, and the days will continue to pass
as a blur.
When I was a kid, the six weeks school summer
holiday sauntered along at its own pace, and
we filled our long days with fishing or getting
on our bikes and disappearing until sundown.
And my recollection is that every day was sunny
– the whole six weeks of it. They try to tell us
that only the good memories come through
because the brain automatically filters out the
not so pleasant stuff, but I’m having none of

up with drinking, partying and playing best
out of three on the paddle tennis machine in
the bar for female American tourists. It was
the same at weekends, with a few hours on
the beach thrown in. The only exception was
when a tropical storm was raging outside, and
we played Crazy Eights.
Life was still good…

And then zzzzzip . . . we went to bed
one night, and woke up in the future. What
happened to the last 40 years?
“Okay”, I want to tell my now departed
parents, “You were right, can we start again”.
But of course we can’t.
These days we go through the ritual of
assuring everyone in our circle of friends that,
“We don’t feel any different now than we did

15

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that. The endless days lying on a river bank,
chewing a blade of sweet grass and watching
the fish glide to the surface to snaffle an
unsuspecting fly, and just as effortlessly glide
away again, are still fresh in my mind.
Likewise the winter, when snow would fall on
cue just as it should, and lay around for weeks
on end. The icy slide that we painstakingly
made in the road, remained a death trap for
unsuspecting pedestrians for ever, and the
snowman in the back garden stood sentinel
until his nose fell off and he started to wet his
pants about the time that the daffodils began
to appear. Or so it seemed.
Life was good.
The only annoyance was having to listen to
our parents telling us to “Pull our socks up”,
keep our noses to the grindstone at school and
make something of our lives. Because, they
assured us, we needed to make something of
ourselves or life would pass us by. They kept
harping on about life being short, and we kept
thinking – “Leave it out, we’ve got loads of
time.”
Then in my twenties I shared a house with
three other blokes, and we all believed that
there was still plenty of time to knuckle down
and become self-made millionaires. We didn’t
even own a telly because every night was taken

then”, and they sagely nod in agreement. But
we all know the truth, and the truth is that
we don’t go home from the bar these days
because we’ve drunk the place dry. We go
home because we are tired. We no longer wish
that the phone would ring, with friends inviting
us for an evening out clubbing. We take it of
the hook, and watch Midsomer Murders on
the box. And cards are no longer an intrusion
into an evening with friends . . . they are an
evening with friends!
And here’s a thing, we like to think that we
are ageing well, but one look in the mirror
every morning only to be greeted by a watery
eyed stranger, tells us otherwise. And in any
case if it was true, why do so many of us put
20-year-old photographs on our Facebook
pages?
Old friends check out with ever increasing
frequency, and you see faces from the past
at funerals in greater numbers than you ever
did by signing up with Friends Reunited.
And where there were once slim attractive
individuals, there are now only grey flanneled
lookalikes, sporting more chins than the Beijing
telephone directory.
But does it worry me?
cotton pickin’ shirt on it!

You can put your

by colin bird (in the middle!)

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16

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

slash odds on aliens existing
oh, by the way.... Bookies
Bookies slashed the odds on aliens existing after it emerged Winston

Hey, I am still on holiday! Three long weeks – just like
the Spanish do it. Whoa! Never done that before!

I am in a so-called serious business; one of those
that people consider a necessary evil. I always hear
people talking about the conditions in insurance
policies being in small print. Truth is that I have never
seen an insurance policy with small print, definitely
not a health insurance policy as they all give the
general conditions in a separate book. Small print
taken to whole new heights must be the contract I got
for a credit card. Even when I photo copied it up, I
had trouble reading it. After having strained my eyes
to their limit, I think it said that I had so-and-so much
money available on the card, and that I had to pay it
off – preferably in instalments, so the credit card
company could charge me ridiculous interest rates.
And, if I did not pay they would charge me even more
ridiculous fees and harass me with nuisance phone
calls at all times of the day, 7 days a week until I paid
the full amount …. after which they would slap a couple
of extra fees on, in order to exhaust me totally. Okay,
maybe those were not the words, but it was certainly
what happened to me, when I due to freak incidents
fell into arrears. When I expressed my distrust in
the company, the answer was: “But Madam, this is
Barclays”. I honestly do not care whether it was the
Spanish National Bank, dubious business practice, is
dubious business practice no matter who practices it.
Well, now you are warned!
Before the crisis, the number of golf resorts being
built in the region was unbelievable. Before the word
“crisis” was ever mentioned, we asked ourselves in our
house hold who on Earth was supposed to buy all those
houses. Among the Spanish, we heard a lot of grumbling
about the usage of precious water to keep all the new
golf courses Well, with the crisis both “problems”
were solved. The banks have taken the houses for non
payment – they are now the biggest property and land
owners in the region -, the golf courses were never built
– saving all the water for growing crops that are never
harvested, because growing them is not profitable
-, and many of the promoters have gone bankrupt
– some prominent ones not needing to worry about
board and lodgings for several years as the Spanish
penalty system is providing this free of charge. Now
the remaining promoters are trying to blow a bit of
life into the market and improve on tax collection. A
couple of weeks ago the Associación de Promotores
Inmobilarios de la Región de Murcia suggested a
discounted tax for the foreigners who buy a property in
the region. The suggested tax exemption is applicable
on personal tax, which means that foreigners, who want
to take advantage of the discounted tax, have to move
their residence to the region and register here – and
therefore pay tax to the region. And I must add, spend
money in the region! Seems as if at least someone has
discovered the importance of this consumer segment,
and their value for the local economy.
Biggy Marshall is educated within law and administration
and has been writing most of her life. She has been published
in the Danish press as well as in local English publications. She
has lived in Spain for nearly 20 years, the last 14 years in Murcia.
Biggy can be contacted on lbtmarshall@yahoo.com.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions expressed in this column are the
opinions of the columnist and not the opinions of Sol Times
Newspaper Group. The newspaper takes no responsibility for the
content or the opinions of columnist.

Churchill ordered a cover-up of a wartime encounter.

William Hill reported a surge of people placing bets after
claims were published about Churchill fearing public “panic”.
One gambler placed a bet that would see them win more
than £1 million if any such claims are proved.
The Second World War incident supposedly involved an RAF
bomber encountering a UFO off the east coast of England.
Churchill allegedly banned reporting of the “bizarre” incident
for half a century amid fears disclosures about unidentified
flying objects would create public hysteria.
He is said to have made the orders during a secret war
meeting with US General Dwight Eisenhower, then commander
of the Allied Forces, in the US.
The grandson of one of Churchill’s bodyguards wrote to the
Ministry of Defence in 1999 inquiring about the incident after
his grandfather disclosed details to his family.
After investigating the claims, an MoD official said there was
no evidence to support the claims as all UFO files before 1967
were destroyed after five years.
But the claim forced bookies to slash the odds that David
Cameron or Barack Obama would admit the existence of
aliens within a year from 100/1 to 80/1.
“We have had loads of calls. There are thousands of believers
out there many of whom are putting their money on an
imminent announcement,” said a Hill’s spokesman.

saucy postcards
go on show

Poetry Corner
Easy Life In Spain
Come out to Spain,it will change your life,
You can bring the Kids,perhaps the Wife,
Your aches and pains will dissappear,
“Illegal builds” is all you will hear.

They Lied to us here,they Lied to us there,
The Builders,The Agents,even the Mayor!
We Trusted them all,as we Brits do,
we were brought up Decent,Honest,and True.

A collection of saucy seaside postcards
banned from UK resorts more than
50 years ago have gone on display
together for the first time.
A collection of saucy seaside postcards banned from
UK resorts more than 50 years ago have gone on display
together for the first time.
All 21 comic cards by prolific artist Donald McGill have
finally gone on show 56 years after the designs were burned
because of their bawdy humour.
McGill, who was dubbed the King of the Seaside Postcard,
published saucy classics from 1904, featuring fat old ladies,
drunken middle-aged men, honeymoon couples and
vicars. He produced a massive 12,000 designs over nearly
six decades and sold more than 200 million cards in small
shops in British seaside towns. But in 1954, after a clean
up at seaside resorts across the UK, he was charged with
publishing obscene images and four of his cards were
immediately banned and 17 withdrawn from sale.
Now these censored seaside postcards can be seen
alongside other postcards that did pass the censors
approval at a new museum in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.
“What is startling is how innocent the majority of these
‘obscene’ cards were,” said James Bissell-Thomas, owner of
the Donald McGill Postcard Museum.
“It seemed to be a bit of a witch hunt and was really very
sad. Many of the images had been on display in the 1930’s
and 1940’s and they were suddenly seen as a threat to
society. McGill’s work was enjoyed by millions during his
lifetime, but he remained a modest man and, in my opinion,
never really received the recognition he deserved.
“The museum gives people a chance to see all his work,
including the whole series of postcards which were banned,
and celebrate his career.”

I bought a nice Villa,and its very Grand,
But Nobody told me its on Rustic Land,
I believed in them then and everything
that they Meant,
Don’t ever Buy,its Better to Rent.
Our Man at the Top,he’s a nice Man,
He’s decided to change “The Urban Plan”
We will be” Regular Soon”,so have no Fear!
The Decisions Are Made Down In Almeria
Its been in the Papers,and on the News,
They’ve Taken our Money,and So much to Lose,
Face up to the Facts,and Dry up those Tears,
To get Legal Here, is going to take Years.
Come out to Spain,it will Change your Life,
You can Send back the Kids,perhaps the Wife,
The Weather in Spain,will ease All your Pain
I’m Never going Back to Wet England Again!

By Robert Liddell
sEND YOUR POEMS TO
EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

17

Maintaining a ‘keep fit’ lifestyle doesn’t have
to mean slogging it out in a sweaty gym. Just
boosting your levels of general daily activity will
reap big rewards in improved health and energy.
Why get fit?
There are all kinds of reasons why many of us find it hard to start
exercising - our day-to-day lives require a lot less physical activity
than in our grandparents’ or even parents’ day, most of us own
cars and rely on them to get around, and more and more people
spend hours sitting in front of computers.

!
t
i
F
t
e
G
o
T
e
m
i

The pressures of home and family life can also mean it feels as
if there’s little time left to fit in exercise. It’s certainly tough to
get started. It’s worth thinking about what you gain from regular
exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness.

T

Being physically active can bolster good mental health and
help you to manage stress, anxiety and even depression. Regular
exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight,
which can be important in managing many health conditions, or
may just make you feel happier about your appearance
All exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles to some degree,
but weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good
in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis,
which affects men as well as women. Different exercises help
with all sorts of health niggles, such as digestion, poor posture
and sleeplessness, and physical activity can be beneficial for a
range of medical conditions, from diabetes to lower back pain

Don’t be a statistic!
There are lots of positive reasons for getting fitter, including
meeting new people, discovering new interests and generally
feeling better, but if you need to be scared into doing more
exercise, consider the following:
On current trends a third of men will be obese by 2010,
according to a 2006 Department of Health report. Between
2003 and 2006, obesity in adults rose by nearly 40 per cent. The
picture is just as worrying for youngsters - by 2010, it’s predicted
22 per cent of girls and 19 per cent of boys between the ages of
two and 15 will be obese, with girls under 11 at particular risk.
Obesity is responsible for 9,000 premature deaths a year in this
country, and is a major contributory factor to heart disease.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is still the leading cause of death
in the UK, accounting for about a fifth of all deaths, according
to the Office for National Statistics. About a third of deaths
caused by CHD are among people aged under 75

Keep active!
We tend to assume the benefits and pleasures of sport,
exercise and fitness are only for younger people, but think
again. The rewards of improved fitness later in life can be great
– both for your health and social life. Statistics show activity
levels decline steadily with age, and by their mid-50s few
people take regular exercise.
But regular activity is especially important as you age because
it has beneficial effects on conditions such as diabetes and
cardiovascular disease, and helps you maintain mobility and
mental well-being and, consequently, your independence.
There’s no reason you should give up the sport you love just
because you’re getting older. There are plenty of exceptions
to the statistical trend of decreased activity as we get older
– at clubs up and down the country, for example, there are
runners in their 50s, 60s and beyond whose fitness puts people
20 or 30 years their junior to shame. And even if you weren’t
especially active or sporty at a younger age, it’s never too late
to start. Male or female, single or with a partner, there’s lots you
can do, and enjoy.

Some of the health benefits you’ll get are the same as younger
people, but there are things that are of particular benefit as you
get older:
• More energy - exercise makes you feel more energetic, while
sitting around not doing much makes you feel sluggish and
unable to do anything
• Improved sleep - your body and mind feel as though they’ve
done something and are ready for rest at night
• Stable weight - regular exercise helps to keep you at a healthy
weight
• Improved circulation and lower blood pressure
• Delayed ageing - keeping active strengthens your muscles,
joints and bones as well as helping with mobility and balance,
important as it helps to prevent falls, which are the leading
cause of injury and death for the over-75s
On top of the health benefits, exercise can be an excellent way
to meet new people, whether it’s at a gym, a rambling or running
club, or just people you meet while walking the dog!

18

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

Room With A View

Spacious 3/4 bed 2 bath
fully reformed cortijo

within walking distance to Albox town
This is a deceptively spacious two storey property located in a small
hamlet of similar properties just 10 minutes walk from the market
town of Albox and all amenities. There are stunning open views from
the front of the property and it would be ideal for those wanting to
live in a predominantly Spanish area and close to the town.
The house, whilst semi detached, has a whopping 167m of living
space and has been reformed to a very good standard retaining a lot
of the original features including farmhouse doors, beamed ceilings,
traditional fireplaces etc yet still offers all the benefits of modern
living. You enter the house via a hallway which leads to a double
bedroom on the left and a large 21m lounge to the right with beamed
ceilings and original fireplace with log burning fire. From the lounge
an archway leads to a separate 9m dining room and onto a 2nd lounge
of 15m which could be used as a 4th bedroom if required. There are
double doors leading out to a a covered rear private porch (10m) ideal
for summer evenings and on to a further tiled terrace of 13m. On
the ground floor there is also a traditional Andalusian kitchen and
a cloakroom. Tiled stairs then lead to the 2nd floor which has two
double bedrooms, each with their own en-suite bathrooms and with
access to the private roof terrace.
To the front of the property is a 45m established garden, laid to
gravel and with lovely open views and there is a covered seating area
for shade. Access to the property is good via a tarmac road and there
is off road parking. Ref cla 1736

Summer home decorating should be light and fresh,
not a big project. Here are ideas to keep your summer
home decorating easy, fast and inexpensive.
Interior Painting
Summer is a good time to add
a new colour or a fresh coat
of paint to your walls.
Make painting a room
easy by painting only
the focal wall. Use
a
complimentary
colour
to
the
existing walls or, for
a dynamic affect,
choose a completely
different
colour
and add a picture
or other wall art to
tie the room together.
This makes painting a fast
and less expensive home
decorating idea.

Fabric
Accessories
Put away the
throws
and
heavy pillows
from
the
winter months.
Make
new
pillows without
sewing. Take a
light weight piece
of fabric and wrap a
pillow like a present, using a
complimentary ribbon to secure
it. Easy and inexpensive way
to add a fresh décor to
your bedroom or living
room.

Less Is So
Much More!
Declutter
your
fireplace
mantle,
end tables, and
shelves by putting all
of your knick knacks,
pictures, and collectables

away. Now put out only the three
you like the most and put them
in a different location. This
will create a new home
decorating look, be
less cluttered, and be
less dusting during
the summer.

Hello and once again welcome to
this weeks article, where I am
going to discuss with you
very important points
when buying or
selling property
in this current
market.
Even though
there has been a
massive increase
in the amount of
interest in property
around this region
of Almeria recently, and
that this increase in interest
has also been accompanied by an
increase in the number of properties being sold
in the region.
This is Fantastic news for all of us, isn’t it?
Well yes it is, but One Very important thing to
remember is that the properties that have and are
still selling within this region, are the properties
that have been well priced and that have taken
into account the market place that property is
current experiencing, and that this has been
addressed by the property owners wishing to sell
who have also taken the advice they have been
given by there agents.
Please always remember that Good Professional
Estate agents, always have there finger on the
pulse of what is happening in the market place
and because of this they know how to market and
how to sell a property. Please also remember that
Good Agents never take any fees from a client
until the sale of there property has taken place.
When buying in Spain, particularly if it is your first

here.
Please, Please, please speak with Good property
agents and show them your honest intent and
share with them what you want from your
Spanish property, and all good agents shall then
be able to give you so much help and guidance
to achieve your dream in the most cost effective
way for you.
Also when buying in Spain, I would strongly
recommend that you only use the specially
selected estate agents who have been accredited
to provide you Free of any charge, with the 20 year
safe purchase guarantee of Caser, who are one of
the largest insurance companies in Spain, and are
the insurers of the Spanish Savings Banks.
As only with this 20 year safe purchase guarantee
are you financially protected from any future
problems or changes in the law, which may affect
your property? If you would like more information
on this please just call into our offices.

For Guidance or Assistance on this or any other Property / Tax related subject contact
Robert Brian Halley on 950 473 040 or Email: info@newonestop.com
Visit: www.newonestop.com

Colourful
Table Décor
If you love the
look and colours
of fresh flowers in
a vase on your table
but can not afford
buying new flowers every
week make a silk flower
arrangement. Silk flowers look
real and come in a variety
of colours to add the
colour of summer
to your home
decorating.
Easy
and
inexpensive.

Mix
Up Your
Home
Décor
Take a few minutes and
change the furniture around in
one room a week. You could
even swap furniture from
one room to another.
There is no need to
buy anything extra
so changing the
look of the rooms
is inexpensive and
easy. Make sure
all the window
treatments
are
letting the sunlight
into each room and
the
windows
and
screens are clean.

property
purchase

www.gcen.co.uk/regular-monthly-payments.php

20

...remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

VINTAGE STYLE

Florals, vintage fabrics and soft pastel
colours have taken the fashion world by
storm - and all the signs are that this look
is set to take over our homes too. After
the trend in recent years for neutral,
minimalist interiors, this refreshing return
to colour, texture and comfort is likely to be
embraced in homes everywhere.
Vintage-style decorating has the
potential of bringing you back to your
grandparent’s home; your furniture may
be well-loved and well-used with peeling
paint and many dents and scratches

Fabrics
Fabrics are an important ingredient
in creating this style. If you love the old
cabbage roses of the 40’s you are well
on your way to enjoying this style. Calico
prints from the 30’s and 40’s are also used
extensively.
In the kitchen, oilcloth tablecloths
were often used – and prove extremely
practical in the modern home today.
Another kitchen staple was the terrycloth
towel with the crocheted buttoned handle
that could be attached to a drawer knob
or the oven door handle. Dishcloths and
towels often had hand crocheted edges
to keep them from fraying and help them
last longer.
During wartime when fabric was scarce,

g r a i n
bags were
printed with
patterns
so women
would have
access
to
fabric they
could use.
Often bags
were sewn
from these
to keep dry
goods
in
the pantry.
Beans, rice,
pasta were
stored in these homemade bags made
from the grain bag fabric. Since many
women canned in those times and many
gave their specialties as gifts, jar toppers
were also made from these bags. Many of
these grain bag patterns are avidly sought
for by collectors today.

Sell your property for its
true value & not what
someone thinks they can
sell it for...

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Kitchen ideas
One
idea
for
vintage
decorators is to have a coat
rack in the kitchen displaying
a variety of colourful aprons
from the 40’s and 50’s.
Enamelled pots, both blue
speckled and white were found
in vintage kitchens. The variety
of tools used is huge and great
fun to look for at flea markets.
Look for gallon butter churns,
butter moulds, wire egg baskets,
rug beaters, a display of old keys,
coloured jars, milk bottles, antique
cookbooks, vintage pottery and
canisters, tin breadboxes, vintage salt
and pepper shakers.
If you have a laundry area, a washboard
could also be hung on the wall. To
go along with that, everyone had
clothespin bags that were hung from
the clothesline, keeping the pins
handy for use.
Ironing boards were often covered
with colourful calicos or cotton floral
prints; ticking was also a favourite
fabric for covering ironing boards.

Living Room
If you have a living room with a
fireplace, you can use an old trunk,
wooden tool box or toy chest for a
wood box. A basket piled high with
pine cone starters along with some
vintage fire andirons and hand wrought
tools will complete the picture. Don’t
forget to look for really great bellows while
you are at it.

Bedrooms
In the bedroom you can transform your
linens by sewing crocheted lace to your
sheets and pillowcases. Be sure to pile plenty
of pillows covered with vintage pillowcases
on the bed; quilts and comforters will also
help you create the vintage style look.
Shop at markets for some vintage lamps
and lampshades. Beautifully shaped lamp
shades fit this style as do padded hangers
covered in vintage fabric, hang scented
packets of potpourri from the hangers too

Antique water pitchers with matching
bowls are highly sought for this style of
decorating. Even chamber pots are used for
an authentic look here!
Antique jewellery placed in a vintage

jewellery
box
is
another way
to add character to a vintage-style bedroom.
Look for some old heavy glass vintage
candlesticks for added romance.

Decorating Tips
collection of shaving mugs with brushes
A
would look good in the bathroom...along
with the shaving mugs would fit a razor
strop used to sharpen straight edge razors
lace a wooden peg rail in the entryway
P
for hanging hats...an umbrella stand would
be appropriate in the front hall
intage frames holding a collection of old
V
family portraits would fit in almost any
room...

• Delightful detached villa of 180m built
• There are 3 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms
• The property boasts a very spacious lounge
• Lounge has a log burner, sets on 5,400m plot
• Has a large pol 8x4 with open mountain views.
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• 3 large storage area/garage/ work shop.

• First line beach well known French Bar
• Plus outside terrace & seating area of 60m

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mojacar
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bargain €154.000

price €219.000

Ref: 189

cabrera
• Magnificent 2 beds, 2 baths detached home
• On a beautiful Moorish style community
• With the use of a pool and sun terraces
• Lounge/dining room with an open fire place
• Well fitted kitchen with range of cupboards
• A back door goes into a walled courtyard
• Large sun terrace with stunning views.
• Private parking area under a covered pergola.

carboneras
• Large 500 years water mill tastefully restored
• Sets on a 10.000m² plot ideal as a B&B
• Total of 5 Bedrooms & 2 bathrooms.
• Various terraces with beautiful mountain views,
• Extra ordinary features hard to come by
• Mains water connected, solar panel
• Space for a large swimming pool

Most houseplants will thrive in a well-lit, draught-free spot with an even
temperature and reasonably high humidity. However some plants have specific
needs.
For instance, flowering plants and those with variegated foliage need
m o r e light than plants with plain green foliage, while ferns like a darker
position. Cacti, succulents and carnivorous plants like a bright
windowsill, but avoid putting on a south-facing sill in summer,
where they could scorch. Orchids prefer bright, indirect light and
if possible, lots of fresh air and high humidity. Generally, if growth is
poor and spindly, flowering plants are shy to flower or variegated plants
revert to
plain green, improve the light conditions.

Watering

Most houseplants are killed by overwatering. Aim to keep
the compost moist but wait until it has almost dried out before
rewatering. You can check
by pushing your finger into the
compost.
Water from above and put saucers under
plants to allow excess water to drain away.
Generally plants will need watering more during
the spring and summer growing seasons, than
when dormant in winter.
Tap water is fine for most houseplants, but some
specialist plants, such as orchids and carnivorous
plants are fussier.
Water less in winter than in summer when actively
growing.

Humidity

Ferns, orchids, bromeliads, calathea and other
tropical plants enjoy a daily mist with a hand-held
spray. Grouping plants on a tray of damp gravel will
also help.

Holiday watering

Most houseplants can survive being left for a couple of
weeks with some preparation. Water all pots thoroughly
before you leave.
Plants in large pots will be fine left in a shady room.
Those in smaller pots, the very potbound and plants
that enjoy humidity will do better in the bath, lined with
an old towel soaked in water. If direct sunlight falls on
your bath, shading the window will also help.

Feeding

Many plants will grow without feeding, but flowering
plants are very hungry and will do best when given a
weekly dose of liquid feed. When moving plants into
bigger pots, add a few granules of slow-release fertiliser
to the compost, but follow the manufacturer’s guidelines
to avoid overfeeding.

Pruning

Most plants are easy to look after. Pinch off dying flowers
with your thumb and forefinger and remove any damaged or
yellowing leaves. Remove wayward branches with secateurs
if necessary.

Cleaning

Dust can quickly build up on leaves This isn’t only unsightly but also prevents plants from
growing properly. Clean with a piece of cotton wool dipped in water.

Houseplant pests

If the plant is lacking in vigour, check for tufts of white fluff. This is either mealy bug or woolly
aphid, pests that suck the sap of houseplants. Remove with an organic soft soap spray.
Tiny limpet-like bugs on stems or leaves of plants are a sign of sap-sucking scale insect. Rub off
by hand with a piece of cotton wool.
Fine webbing at the tips of plants and yellow speckling on leaves is a symptom of tiny red spider
mites. They thrive in a warm, dry atmosphere - cut off the affected parts and mist around the
plant to prevent another outbreak.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Send you gardening tips, your houseplant advice or any summer home
information to editor@soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

23

the early bee gets
the best pollen!
A study has found that bees are better at learning new odours
in the morning.
This early brain power may have evolved to help the insects
sniff out flowering plants and forage for nectar more efficiently.
An experiment in which a team tested more than 1,000 bees is
described in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology.
Previous research has shown that most flowers accumulate
their nectar during the morning, so this would be the period
during which learning many new odours would be most useful
to the bees.
The process of memorising the new odours released by flowers
is very energy-intensive for the bees’ brains, so being a little “less
clever” later in the day could help the insects to conserve that
energy.

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There are
nearly a thousand
varieties of mint,
but only six or
so are worth
cultivating. They
are easy to grow
in both shade
and sun and
require very little
maintenance
needed.

Mouthwatering Mint

“La Gardenia”
Garden Centre

on

asi

r

fo
s
r

any

occ

we
o
Fl

With this
voucher

Tel: 968 154 204

Where To Grow…
Mint is very tolerant of almost all conditions, but like
all plants it will grow best in certain conditions. The soil
should be well-dug, fertile and water-retentive, but not
water-logged.
Whilst mint will grow well in full sun, it does not like dry
conditions. Its preference is therefore for partial shade,
and it is well suited to a North facing wall
Mint is sold at most garden centres in small pots - they
can be planted straight outside.

10%

Email. bahiagarden@msn.com

They
can
be
harvested for at
least six months
of the year when
grown outside, and
are superb when
used to flavour
meats (lamb is best
known), vegetables
(especially
new
potatoes
and
peas), salads, tea
and jellies.

Propagation…

Discount

Via Axial, 7
Puerto de Mazarron

Their problem is
that they grow too
well! If left to their
own devices, they
will rapidly take
over your garden.
Mints were used
by the Greeks and
Romans both for
flavouring food and
as a medicine.

One coupon
per person

Mint has shallow, creeping roots which can be broken
off and placed either directly in the ground or in pots
containing potting compost. Because mint is such a
strong-growing plant, it can easily kill nearby plants. The
solution when planting outside is to sink a bottomless
container, such as an old bucket, in the ground and plant
the mint in this area. The roots might not be stopped
100%, but it will do the job. Another alternative is to
dig a hole to a depth of 30cm (1ft) and line it with black
plastic (pierced with small holes for drainage). The soil
is then replaced in the black plastic and the mint planted
in that area.

on holiday from 28th august to 5th september inclusive.
All enquiries please contact Paul’s mobile.

Care of Mint…
Mulching the soil will go a long way to keeping mint
happy - it will achieve the all important job of keeping a
moist root run which mint likes so much. A twice yearly
feeding with bonemeal will keep it even happier. Remove
the flowers by hand as soon as they appear because if
left, they will reduce the amount of leaves. There is very
little else to do except enjoy it.
Mint suffers from only one disease and that is rust allow it to get a hold and it will kill all your mint plants.
There are chemical sprays for rust, but they can often be
only a part solution. The best method is to examine each
plant carefully for signs of rust (orange blobs generally
on the underside of the leaves) and remove any leaves
affected - spray as well with a chemical if you want. If
this does not remove the infection chop the plant down
to ground level and burn it all - drastic, but the only cure
in the late stages of rust infection.

Harvesting Mint…
Basically, cut the leaves when needed - a pair of scissors
or nipping with the fingers both work well. It pays to
cut the top leaves first, because this will encourage the
plant to shoot out again further down the stem. Never
strip the plant of all its leaves. It is possible to store the
leaves in a warm place to dry, but some of the flavour
goes.

Container Growing…
This herb is ideally suited to container culture and will
grow happily in potting compost. Attention throughout
the year is minimal. Water if the compost is drying out,
and feed with liquid plant food monthly throughout the
growing season. Container grown plants are more likely
to affected by severe frosts, so move the containers
close to the house walls in colder months.

Suddenly I’m brought back to earth by the
dulcet (?) tones of ‘Er Indoors shouting “Have
you finished picking the raspberries yet?”
Back to work…
if you are lucky enough to have autumn fruiting
raspberries, now is the time to give your canes
a good soaking, and I mean a REALLY good
soaking; not just a can full. Then put at least
10cms of mulch around them to keep the soil
moist because the sun will dry out the moisture
as fast as you can put it in.
I know that this is a veg page, but soft fruit is
often grown in the veg plot. I also have a grape
vine growing along the fence of the veg garden,
courtesy of a bird, so I’m leaving it there to see what happens...there are a few grapes on
it about the size of small pea!

AUGUST...
If your plot is empty now, make sure it is well weeded then dig in the horse and cow
manure; the older the better, but check for those CHAFER grubs!
Now is the time for the seed bed to be prepared. Select a patch, preferably with a bit
of shade at midday. Rake the soil to a fine tilth, make a depression (drill) and water.
Sow seeds in moist drill then cover with fine dry soil. Using a watering can with a fine
rose, keep the seedlings damp and shady until they are strong enough to look after
themselves. Seeds suitable for planting now are:- cabbage, leeks, lettuce, onions,
caulis, broccoli etc, NOT carrots as it’s still too hot for them. Seed potatoes are not
available yet but look out for sprouting potatoes in the veg market
Plant a few plugs of lettuce for those summer salads, and keep the tomatoes,
cucumber, and peppers well watered.
Keep an eye open for wasp nests amongst pots or near water butts.

GOLDEN RULES TO REMEMBER

Keep those weeds down, and don’t let the plants dry out.
Wear your hat, drink plenty of water and take regular breaks

A frog hunt like no other is about to begin, as conservationists scour the world
for species thought to be extinct but which may just be hanging on.
Over the next two months, missions will begin in 14 countries searching for species such as
the golden toad, the hula painted frog and the scarlet frog.
Amphibians are the most threatened animals on the planet, with one third of species at risk
of extinction. Many have been eliminated by a fungal disease carried in water.
The scientist leading the project, Robin Moore, said he believes some of the 100 amphibians
targeted in the survey will turn up.
“A couple of years ago when I was in Ecuador with a team of local scientists, we went in
search of a species that hadn’t been seen in 12 years,” he told BBC News.
“We weren’t very hopeful that we’d find it, but after a day of searching we uncovered a rock
and found one of these little green frogs.
“Similar stories have started popping up of people finding frogs that we thought had gone;
so it gives me hope that there are a lot out there that we think may have disappeared but
may actually still be alive.”
Dr Moore, of Conservation International (CI), is organising the search for the Amphibian
Specialist Group (ASG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The biggest issue for amphibians globally is loss of their habitat, as forests are cleared and
wetlands drained. But this survey will target many species that have fallen prey to a newer
and starker threat - the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.
There is currently no way of preventing infection in the wild, or of preventing its spread
across the world.
Although some species are immune, the chytrid fungus wipes others away suddenly. The
iconic golden toad of Costa Rica (Incilius periglenes) went from abundant to extinct in little
more than a year. This spectacular species has become a poster-child for the amphibian
crisis, and finding some specimens still alive - about which the team is not optimistic - would
be a major coup. The same applies to the gastric brooding frogs of Australia, which uniquely
in the animal world raise their tadpoles in their stomachs.
This involves turning off production of stomach acid. Medical researchers hoped that
understanding how the frogs did it could lead to new treatments for stomach ulcers.
But their disappearance in 1985 - probably another victim of chytridiomycosis - put
paid to such notions. If it turns out that a few of them do still exist, or of any of the
other species to be surveyed, conservation measures would be implented in full.
“We’re limited by our
knowledge of many of
these species and
whether they even
exist - if we don’t
know whether a
species exists,
we
can’t
protect
it,” said Dr
Moore.
“So it
really is a
mission to
increase our
knowledge of
what’s out there,
what’s still alive, so that
we can follow up and
hopefully do some
conservation work
on species that
are found.”

A family told how a sunflower in their garden is set to be Britain’s
tallest after shooting up by more than 10 feet in one MONTH.
The sunflower, planted by Claire Townshend,
31 and her two green-fingered children, Charlie,
seven and Rosie, four, in their back garden, now
stands at a towering 14ft1in.
Full-time mum Claire bought three £1 pots of
sunflower seeds from Asda on March 9 and
along with husband Dean, 34, planted nine
seeds later that evening.
Charlie and Rosie were initially disappointed
when the five shoots grew by just three feet
from March to June - but then to their delight
the plants began an astounding growth spurt,
putting on 10ft in just one month.
Now one of the sunflowers is just six inches off
the UK record of 14.7 ft, while the four others,
only one with a fully-formed head, stand at
around 11 ft in the 130 ft garden.
Claire said the family, who moved in to the
three-bedroomed
semi-detached
house
Borehamwood, Herts., a year ago, were
astonished” the seeds had grown so tall.
She said: ‘We still can’t believe it. Charlie and
Rosie have been watering it every evening but
it must have been the hot weather that made
it shoot up.’
‘’The current record is 14.7ft but we are
confident this one will beat records if there is
enough rain and sunshine.’
‘Charlie loves gardening and has already grown
strawberry plants, which were a great success,
but this is his greatest achievement yet.’
‘The stalk is so thick, it’s like a tree trunk and
the leaves are absolutely massive too.’
‘Everyone is so shocked when they see it - it
reaches above our upstairs windows.’
‘Only one of the heads has flowered at the
moment so we are looking forward to the
others coming into bloom, and of course
beating the record.’
Claire and Dean, an industrial waste loader,

decided to pull up a patch of weeds in their
back garden in March for Charlie and Rosie to
start gardening together.
Charlie, who is three ft 11ins, and 3’7” Rosie,
who both attend local primary schools, are still
amazed by the ‘monster’ that towers above
them.
The family are continuing to water the
sunflowers and are measuring the tallest every
day to make sure can track exactly when it
becomes a record-breaker.

Puffin chick ‘bullied’ by adult ‘Asbo’ bird on Shetland
An adult puffin has been nicknamed
Asbo after being filmed bullying a puffin
chick on Shetland.
The fully-grown puffin was filmed several
times going underground and pecking and
kicking the young bird.
RSPB Scotland said the footage in a
burrow, at Sumburgh Head, revealed
previously unknown behaviour.
South Shetland warden Helen Moncrieff
said: “What we never expected to see was
any violence.” She said the baby puffin had
recovered from the attacks.
She explained: “As this anti-social
behaviour has been captured on CCTV,

we’ve nicknamed the intruder ‘Asbo
puffin’.
“Thankfully, the chick found the strength
to recover from the attacks and seems to
be making good progress.
“It could leave the burrow any day now.
It’s been a privilege watching the puffins
and we hope to do it all again next year.”
The puffin egg was laid on 6 May, and it
hatched on 15 June.
Edited footage from the nest made
available online by the RSPB does not
feature the attack, which is said to be
distressing.

station puts it off to another day (8)
9 Senior member of lair - “Without You” nearly coming up (5)
14 Social worker goes after former “Gold” piece that’s
excessive (10)
16 Spirit holder’s folk opening, with “Heart Of Glass”
down
initially having disrupted kip outside (8)
1 A cat I put before beginning of “Cars” is minute (6)
17 Those providing the rhythm for start of “Millennium”
2 Fruit of “Father and Son” - replacing daughter with
taken in by shocking murders (8)
maiden (6)
18
Peculiar two taken in by one who can’t stand
3 Lacking the beginning and end, “Move Closer” for Bush (4)
“Trouble”
(3,5)
4 Centrepiece of heavy metal without final tune from “Ten
19
T
wice
left
track
embraced by “America” after British
Thousand Years Ago”, perhaps (3-3)
animals
(8)
5 Adore “Crazy”, a key riff for romance (4,6)
6 Starts to entertain many bands - “Alright” led musical 23 “Born To Be Wild”, losing BT’s island (6)
24 Repeals shuffle, with “Runaway” to go by (6)
extravaganza, dignity preserved (8)
7 Not one for “Help!”, writer leaves out a list and head of 27 So, “The Final Countdown” (4)

SUDOKU PUZZLE ...Very Hard!

Sudoku is a placement puzzle. Enter the numbers 1
to 9 in each row and column of a grid, made up of 3 x 3 subgrids. The catch is that each
row, column and grid must contain only one instance of each number or letter.

Make sure you have enough napkins for all
your guests. You can even mix and match
different sets. Paper and cloth napkins come
in a wide variety of colors and patterns. When
you’re picking out napkins, select colors that
will coordinate with your tablecloths, table
runners and place mats.

Set your table with wine and water glasses
for adults and juice glasses for children. Plastic
and paper are convenient and attractive for a
casual party, while glass works best for formal
occasions. Make sure you have enough for all
your guests.

Dinnerware:

Make sure your guests stay well hydrated on
warm summer days. Place a pitcher of water on
the table so that guests can refill their glasses
without having to leave the table.

For a casual party, paper and plastic make
cleaning up a breeze, and there are many
eco-friendly options available. If your party is
more formal, consider setting your table with
brightly colored china pieces. Make sure you

Assemble a summer centerpiece for your
table. Try an arrangement of different-sized
candles with a scattering of seashells or
stones. Plastic beach buckets filled with sand
also make sturdy candleholders. Pair them

Consider your menu and the tone of your
party. Are you hosting guests for hors d’oeuvres
and cocktails by the pool or a sit-down dinner
under the stars?

A corkscrew, bottle opener,
cocktail shaker, strainer, muddler,
jigger, bar spoon and cocktail picks
will provide guests with everything
they need to pour their own drinks.
Colorful cocktail umbrellas add
a dash of summer whimsy to
cocktails, and wineglass tags will
ensure that guests never confuse
their drinks with someone else’s.

Open all day
freshly made food
twist
with a canadian
&
Available all day
late
serving food til
every thurs, fri
& sat

Grilling Tools

Before you put dinner on the
barbecue, make sure you have
everything you need to finish the
job. A spatula, tongs, a fork and a
basting brush are essential tools for

drinks specials available daily

the chef.

Tel - 647 106 129 Situated on MojacarPlaya

Ice Bucket or Cooler:

An ice bucket or a cooler at the bar
or the dinner table is a summertime
essential. It will let guests keep
their drinks cold without having to
run back into the house to get more
ice.

Hot summer days and cold
drinks bring the inevitable water
rings on your tables and drips on
your guests. Avoid this problem
by leaving coasters on surfaces
where guests might put down their
glasses.

evening entertainment
IN AUGUST (starts 9pm)

Chairs:

If you’re hosting a party in your
backyard, make sure you have
enough chairs for all your guests.
If you’re going to be seating some
of your guests in folding chairs,
consider using chair covers. They’ll
keep your table looking lovely by
dressing up the seats, which can
be unsightly.

Sunburn is always a hazard
during the summer months.
Help your guests avoid this
uncomfortable condition and
protect their skin by leaving
suntan lotion in convenient
places. Provide plenty of
areas where they can escape
the strong summer sun, such
as underneath an awning or a
large picnic umbrella.

Pool Toys

If you’re hosting a summer
pool party, make sure your
guests have floats or toys to
help them relax in the water.

Set the mood for your party
with candles or lanterns.
Hanging lanterns will create
a pretty summer scene,
while votives, tapers and
pillar candles can be used
separately or mixed to create a
warm and inviting centerpiece
for your table.

Almerimar is a modern seaside town in the province
of Almería which is part of Andalucía.
The town is situated approximately 40 km west of
the city of Almería and it´s airport. It is also about 2
- 2 1/2 hours drive east from Málaga airport.
The town of Almerimar did not exist until the
1970s.
Early on there was just the golf course and 3 hotels
on the site of the current Spirit Mar complex close to
the Puntas Entinas nature reserve.
In 1976 the Almerimar Golf Hotel opened. The next
big development was the creation of the marina.
The marina which has around 1000 births is made
up of three linked areas called Darsenas. These are
very imaginatively named Darsena 1, Darsena 2 and
Darsena 3.
When the marina was first built there was very little
development around it. Over the years the town has
grown significantly.
There are now buildings all around the marina with
restaurants, shops and bars scattered across all 3
darsenas and in the areasnearby.
More recent developments have included the
addition of a further 9 holes on the golf course and
the refurbishment of the original 18 holes in the early
2000s.
Also, there is a second area close to Almerimar
known as ´the lakes area´. This is situated in the Bahía
San Miguel (Bay of San Miguel) between the core of
Almerimar and the town of Guardias Viejas where
there has been a large number of additional holiday
properties built in the last 10 years.

Co-owner’s of the Sophia Wellness Centre
in Arboleas, Paula Read-Kenny and Jacky Rusholme,
recently presented F.A.C.E. (Fundraising In Arboleas,
Caring for Everyone) President Adele Wrigglesworth with
a cheque for 2,500 Euros. The cheque was part of the
proceeds raised through a sponsored 6 kilometre walk
around Arboleas held in March of this year and through
many other various activities organised by the Wellness
Centre. The total of monies raised was over 5,000 Euros
and Sophia’s would like to thank all their clients and
associates for helping to raise this tremendous sum.
F.A.C.E., who assisted in the organisation the
sponsored walk, were presented with half the total
raised; the remainder will go to Cancer Support in The
Community.
PIC: Jacky Rusholme (second from left) with F.A.C.E. President
Adele Wrigglesworth (centre) and Paula Read-Kenny (right
of centre), surrounded by other members of the F.A.C.E.
Committee. (Report by Richard B.Tolman)

Each month, APSA, the animal
charity in Albox, runs a draw
for a buffet meal for two at
Syedpur Indian Restaurant
in Albox. The draw raises
much - needed cash for the
many dogs in our care and for
the neutering programme.
Tickets are just 2€ and can
be bought at the APSA shop,
Rumores bar and restaurant
or from volunteers in your
area. Please ring 950 437 080
for details. Please help the
charity and give yourself the
chance to win a free meal!

Happy Birthday
Phil
(Securitas Direct)
from all of his
girls with
lots of love
Kelly, Sophia &
Alicia
XXXXXXXX

A SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA
At Restaurante La Cumbre
24th August from 7pm~ 12 Euros
With performance

This event is to help support a loca
l registered charity
in Los Gallardos, called ASADIS. The
charity supports 13
mentally and physically disabled
children. The funds raised
helps pay for physiotherapy,speech
therapy and field trips
etc. The last event we organised
we hoped 200 would
attend, the support from ever ybo
dy was immeasurable we
doubled that amount plus. This year
we have changed the
venue for different and better facil
ities, unfortunately this
means we can only cater for a limit
ed amount. If you wish
to join in please do not hesitate
to purchase your tickets
ASAP to avoid disappointment

DDING
ANGIE AND PHIL’S 17THTHWE
ANNIVERSARY ON 14 AUGUST
A WONDERFUL
WITH ALL MY LOVE PHIL FOR
17 YEARS OF HAPPINESS.
XXX
ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS, ANGIE
r
who came to ou
P.S Thank you to everyone
a lovely night!XXX
party on 21st July. It was

You can purchase your tickets from
Bar El Naranjo Los
Gallardos, Ali, Michelle and Mick
are large supporters
of Asadis,they arrange many even
ings in the bar to
raise funds, they will be more than
happy to see you.
Restaurante La Cumbre and Gat sby’
s Boutique near
Hotel Puntazo, Mojacar Playa. OR
CONTACT JULIE ON
950398846 OR 697462746 or ww
w.jujuentertainment.
com

s
sy
ye
ed
dp
pu
ur
r

7 courses

only
12.95€

or challenge yourself
to up to 25 courses
only 12.95€
again All for....

Famous 5

Sheryl and Terry would like to wish
their daughter Amanda Rivett and
future Son-in-Law Simon Jameson
a huge congratulations on their
engagement. On July 31st friends
and family were in Bistro Bonita in
Cerro Gordo as Simon got down on
one knee and proposed.
We wish you both luck and good
fortune for your future together!

5 course meal
mondays & tuesdays

only
9.95€

Tel: 950 120 606

Arkrites

British Food Store

in Roquetas (near Theos)
Groceries and frozen foods including
legs of New Zealand lamb,
gammon joints, lambs liver.
Large selection of greeting cards

Free Home Delivery
Always well stocked

950 334 081 Mon - sat 10-2
In the Urb of Roquetas de Mar,
just off Avda de Mediterraneo
in the square near La Gamba Toscana & Theos

HIRE A HUSBAND ?
Local handy man available
for all the jobs he does not
get round to! Painting,small
plumbing jobs,shelves,garden
clearance,all outside work.
Walls,stone cladding,rendering
etc.
Good hourly/daily rate

3 Double bedrooms, kitchen, diner, lounge, hall,
2 bathroom showers, large shed, is close to
shops, garage, restaurants & local pool.
Galera is located in land where the cost
of living can be much lower.
Offers over 42,000€
Tel:634 732 819 andybaker9@googlemail.com

2 bed 2 bath penthouse apartment in the
‘Salinas de Vera’ complex on Vera Playa.
With outdoor & indoor communal pools,
Allocated Parking, Gardens and a sea view
this apartment is a BARGAIN and now
reduced. It is sold as seen with all furniture,
fixtures & fittings. It even includes a Fiat
Punto car in perfect condition. ref:VER2A09

9kgs, A bit tubby! Neutered, a friendly, playful
and affectionate dog.
See more small dogs on the website.

APSA
APSA has many
lovely dogs just
waiting for good
homes.
Please call

663 762 642

www.albox
dogrescue.com

Email: Auraspain@gmail.com
Web: Auraholidaysmojacar.com

AURA HOLIDAYS MOJACAR

Advertise your
property or business
for sale here.
call 950 430 820
or email us on
SALES@SOLTIMES.COM
Puppy rescue

Rinty, D.O.B. 20/11/08. Vac’d &
Neutered. Rinty was found in the Campo being
used as a football by some teenagers. After
having spent most of his early life in kennels,
he went to a foster home. Although he seemed
to settle he is still frightened of his fosterer´s
teenage sons, Rinty spends most of the day
under the bed where he feels safe, which is
not good. Now 3 months on things have not
improved, we need to get him into another
home without teenagers, where he can live a
normal life. We don’t want to send him back to
the kennels. If you can give Rinty a permanent
or foster home please phone Diane on 664 768
958 or email diane@puppyrescueinspain.org

www.soltimes.com

SOLTIMES AUGUST 2010

35

Satellite Visibility Predictions

Moon ‘too dry to have
life’, say scientists
Contrary to recent reports about water
content in lunar rocks, the Moon may be
quite dry, say scientists.

magma ocean on the Moon’s surface - molten
rocks, capable of retaining high quantities of
water.

A study by US researchers, published in
Science, analysed chlorine isotopes of the
much-studied samples, brought to Earth by
the Apollo space missions.

“As the Earth has cooled and crystallised,
there were gases from volcanoes coming to
the surface and the steam from them has
probably formed the majority of the oceans.
Our oceans came from water dissolved in
rocks,” said Dr Sharp.

They added that there was no or very little
hydrogen in the magma ocean during the
Moon’s formation. And that would mean the
Earth’s natural satellite may have always been
too dry to host life.
Zachary Sharp from the University of New
Mexico led the study.
According to one of the theories of the
Moon’s formation, a Mars-size object collided
with the young Earth billions of years ago.
As a result, our planet’s satellite was formed.
It crystallised and cooled shortly thereafter,
about 4.5 billion years ago.
Before it cooled, there was a so-called

“The same thing may have happened on
the Moon, except that the Moon is too small;
gravity is too weak to retain this water so it
would have been lost to space.”
In their quest for water on our planet’s
satellite, researchers have had to rely on the
analysis of lunar rocks that US Apollo space
missions brought to Earth in the late 1960s
and early 1970s.
The main goal has always been to find hints
that the rocks were hydrated when they
cooled, said the scientist.

bIRD’S EYE VIEW

Do Manners really Maketh Man ?
Although I have a daughter from a previous
marriage, my wife and I have no children,
which has suited us no end even though
there have been times in the past
where this has raised the odd
eyebrow or two.

around the family table, seems to be a thing of the past for
the majority.

Mothers and Fathers
Days therefore, are like
any other to us and
we are just observers
when neighbours and
friends receive cards
and bouquets from their
offspring. Until this
year that is, when our neighbours young son came to the
gate with a spray of flowers for my wife. “I knew you wouldn’t
be getting anything, so I bought you these”, he said. And
according to his Mum, it was an entirely spontaneous
action, and without any prompting from his parents.

And as for the blokes of my generation, opening the
doors for ladies; allowing them to go first; giving up our
seats on public transport and walking on the outside when
accompanying a member of the opposite sex down the
street, were all as natural as breathing - and indeed still are
for some of us.

My wife was thrilled to receive the flowers, and I was
delighted that here was a small oasis of hope in the everexpanding desert of bad manners, lack of discipline and
spiralling standards.
One of the problems with the degeneration of standards,
is that we older ones feel ourselves getting sucked into this
maelstrom, and it requires conscious effort these days to
practice what we were taught as kids – even those of us
from relatively poor backgrounds. Neither means nor social
standing were divisions in the teaching of basic manners, in
fact it has been my observation over the years that often,
the so-called upper classes lacked the good manners and
respect that were taken for granted by those of us in the
lower divisions. One of the things that really gets my goat,
is when these superior types say “What?” to a question,
whereas we were always taught that “what” was very bad
form, and that “I beg your pardon?”, was the well-mannered
response. Anyway . . .
Some of the basic things that we were taught at an early
age are what many today feel are boring and unnecessary.
Like simply saying please and thank you when appropriate.
Or not getting up from the table before everyone has
finished their meal – indeed, eating proper meals together

I can remember my own Mum drumming the principal
of politeness in to me. If she met a friend in the street for
instance, she would always say to me “Say hello to Mrs . . .”
whoever it was at the time.

After all it’s not quantum physics, and there is nothing to
be lost by being polite and friendly to all of those we meet
– even complete strangers. And what an improved world
we would live in if we always smiled and perhaps greeted
passing strangers with a Good morning or Buenos dias,
even when faced with a blank uncomprehending stare.
Mind you, it is dispiriting when you hold the door for a
lady, and she simply barges through without a thank you, a
nod, or a kiss my . . . Which has happened to me on many
occasions.
Manners are a two way street, and appreciation from the
recipient is a heart warming incentive to go on carrying out
these simple but important observances.
Why the standards have plunged over the last two
generations is beyond me. Perhaps it’s a cyclical thing . .
. a passing phase, and as has so often happened in other
areas throughout history, perhaps there will be a resurgence
in the other direction in the future. I certainly hope so, but I
am not optimistic.
So those of us of a like-mind, let’s make that extra effort
to maintain these standards and keep doing what we know
to be good practice. Let’s grin and bear it when we receive
grunts or blankness for our efforts, and stick faithfully to our
guns in the hope that persistence will pay off eventually.
Perhaps we should form a movement right here in Spain.
I would be very interested to hear other people’s comments
and observations on the subject.

BY COLIN BIRD

...WANT TO HAVE YOU SAY? EMAIL: EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM

The table shows night time passes of the satellites over your location during the next 2 weeks. Max. Elevation is how high
the ISS will get above your horizon (90° overhead). To see the spacecraft, at a given time look in the direction indicated by
‘Appearing’. You should see a bright, slowly moving “star”. The ‘Disappearing’ entries indicate where the satellite will be
when it vanishes from sight. Sometimes an appearance or disappearance occurs well up in the sky when the spacecraft
emerges into sunlight or slips into Earth’s shadow, respectively. Listed times should be accurate to within a few minutes.

Magnitude This is a measure of the brightness of
a celestial object. The lower the value, the brighter the
object, so magnitude -4 is brighter than magnitude 0,
which is in turn brighter than magnitude +4. The system
was started by the ancient Greeks, who divided the
stars into one of six magnitude groups with stars of the
first magnitude being the first ones to be visible after
sunset. In modern times, the scale has been extended
in both directions and more strictly defined.
Date

Here’s the first ever Land Rover NOT designed
to go off-road! Bosses have released these
official pictures of the facelifted Freelander,
with fresh looks, a revised diesel engine and
a new fuel-saving two-wheel-drive option.
The front-driven Freelander, badged eD4,
will go on sale just ahead of the Range Rover
Evoque, which will also be offered with twowheel drive. And the former will be the most
efficient Land Rover ever, returning 47.2mpg
and emitting 158g/km of CO2. This is an
important step for the brand, with two-wheeldrive models now accounting for 23 per cent
of SUV sales.
The step up in efficiency isn’t only a result of
the new transmission, though. The Freelander
also gets a more frugal version of the 2.2-litre
diesel engine, with a choice of power outputs.
Buyers specifying the two-wheel drive eD4 and
4WD TD4 get a 148bhp unit with a six-speed
manual box and stop-start as standard.

Those wanting more power can go for the
flagship 4WD SD4. This delivers 187bhp – a
hike of nearly 30bhp over the outgoing rangetopper. This is mated to an automatic box as
standard, although the self-shifter will be
offered as a £1,515 option on the TD4.
A revised front bumper with new foglamp
bezels, a new finish to the front grille and
updated lights front and rear give the SUV a
fresh look. Plus, three new colour schemes
have been added to the options list – Kosrae
Green, Baltic Blue and Fuji White – along
with new 18 and 19-inch alloy wheel designs.
Inside, the instrument dials are revised, and
there are four new seat styles, with the option
of a Premium Pack that brings leather trim.
The new Freelander TD4 and SD4 go on
sale from the end of next month, ranging
from £21,695 for the TD4 S to £35,510 for the
SD4 HSE. Prices of the 2WD car have yet to
be confirmed, but it’s likely to cost around
£20,000 at launch in January.

Parque Ind El Real, Antas 04628 Tel: 950 459 136

WE HAVE 50 TO 60 QUALITY USED CARS ALWAYS IN STOCK
servicing

INTRODUCING OUR NEW
SECURE MOTORING PLAN

Now available our new fixed price
2 year servicing plan!
Easy monthly payments from €12.50,
that’s less than 45c a day!
TO INCLUDE:
- 1 x A Service (oil + filter, full vehicle check)
- 1 x B Service (as above + air and fuel filters)
- 1 x ITV (Spanish MOT)
- 2 x 6 month vehicle inspections
All paid for over a 2 year period
by standing order from as little as
€12.00 per month INTEREST FREE!
(Conditions apply)
SERVICE PLAN EXAMPLE
2 year period 1.4 Ford Fiesta Petrol
12.00€ per month
Inclusive of 2 x Services
2 x Interim Inspections
1 x ITV - over 24 month period

OPEN: Mon ~ Fri 9am to 6pm
Saturday 10am to 2pm

NEW FOR 2010

Our Workshop is expanding!

TYRE Centre

- Tyre fitting and balancing at very
competitive prices!
- Laser tracking to keep you
heading in the right direction.
- Latest Diagnostic equipment

Nissan has put its popular X-Trail under the
knife. The comprehensive suite of changes inside,
outside and underneath are all aimed at keeping
the Freelander rival at the top of its game.

leather chairs. The X-Trail also gets a clever new
glovebox which can either keep its contents
warm or cold, and optional heated rear seats.

Exterior changes include a redesigned grille,
headlights and bumper at the front; a change to
a new design of larger 18-inch alloys on higher
spec cars, and LED taillights.

Under the X-Trail’s bonnet, the diesel engine is
now Euro V compliant, while the manual gearbox
gets revised ratios. Tweaks to the aerodynamics
have also seen improvements in aerodynamic
efficiency, reducing the Cd from 0.36 to 0.35.

On the inside, Nissan has added higher quality
trim, including improved, thicker material on
cloth seats, and better stitching on models with

Customer deliveries of the revised X-Trail start
in October, and prices will be announced closer
to that date.

Revised X-Trail SUV
goes on sale
in October

Surf’s up for Chevrolet

One-off Spark built to celebrate firm’s American heritage
It might be called the Woody,
but no trees were harmed in
the making of this one-off
Spark.
The special Spark Woody
supermini marks Chevrolet’s
American
heritage,
and
features a three-quarter vinyl
wood print wrap which recalls
the firm’s timber-framed
estate cars of the late 1950s.
Nicknamed woodies, these
cheap, spacious cars were
frequently used by surfers,
hence why the Spark is
currently on show at the
Boardmasters surf festival
held in Newquay every year.

The shallow Murcia lake is still not
fishing well - a recent ‘Rods & Reels’
club match had the winner with only 9k
of fish, a poor do.
‘Baza Barry’ also fished the lake
and wished he hadn’t made the long
journey. He said he was fed up with
fishing Negratin as it was too easy! And
says the rivers are not producing much
and certainly not worth paying for a day
ticket. Barry is off to fish the Bolera lake
near Pozo Alcon next, although not as
prolific as Negratin there are bigger fish
to be had.
The Lorca lake is still fishing well with
big bags of Mirror Carp coming out.
During spawning double figure mirrors
were seen so those fish really have put
on some weight after being introduced
only a few years ago at 1lb. Maybe some
bigger stock fish were also introduced
as even though well fed fish could put
on 5lbs a year I doubt there is that much
natural food there. I know of a Moroccan
mirror carp that put on 13lbs one year.
(This weight gain may have included
spawn).
Argos lake is also fishing well with big
bags coming out.
‘Kote’ and his father have been having
more success on the Almendra lake
where they caught 15 decent carp to
about 7lbs on sweetcorn. Fish were
gulping air from the surface of the lake
so oxygen must be in short supply.
That brings me to the Cuevas canal
where I suppose the authorities will
soon allow big carp to die like they did
last year. It wouldn’t be a big job to net
the water and move the fish back into

the lake from where they came. Has
anyone heard any more about the
boating and fishing lake that we are all
waiting for with bated breath? (Should
baited breath eh?)
Mick ‘Shylock’ - one of the Grumpy
Old Men of Los Gallardos - fished
a mark north of Villaricos. He had
7 painted combers, 2 doradas, one
weighing 1.5lb, and a white bream.
See photo of Mick with his dorada
dinner.
‘Kenolo’ and two mates - Craig and
George - fished with ‘Captain Roly’.
The day started calm but it wasn’t
long before the sea became rough
and Ken’s friends had to go back in
because of sickness. They all caught
and Ken says his theory of soaking his
raw prawns in pilchard oil overnight
worked as no sooner did his weight hit
bottom he got bites.
Roly took four friends out today but
again waves became uncomfortable
and the two young guns decided they
would rather go in a little early. They
caught a few fish though, a scabbard
fish, some scad, pickerel, combers and
pandoras.
‘London Bill’ fished the Garrucha rocks
for a change and had some nice doradas.
He says Macenas is still fishing well as
can be seen by the amount of rods on
the beach, word has got out how many
fish he and some Spanish lads have
been having there.
A massive meagre has been caught
from the shore. I estimate the fish
weighed 50 or 60lbs and is proof of
what we could be catching from our

own shoreline. They grow to 110lbs and
what I think are most likely to blame for
smashing up our rigs and biting through
2.o hooks, from the shore and boat.
Checkout Mojacar’s weather and sea
conditions here on the Beachcomber’s
webcam:
www.almeriafreeads.com/
webcam
For further information on any of the
above or to find out about beach, boat
or coarse fishing licenses, see me at
the Beachcomber Bar Restaurant on
Mojacar Playa or call 950 473 099. In
case of difficulty reaching me (probably
out fishing) ask staff for my mobile
number.
Tight Lines, Beachcomber John

Cortijo Grande

Wednesday 18th July and only a few Our winner with 35 points John Park,
mad enough to play in the heat. Our second with 32 points Lilly Pepper and
winner with 37 points Geoff Bridgman, third with 30 points Yvonne Bridgman.
second with 32 points Sheila Picken
Ball sweep winner : Lilly Pepper - I
and third with 32 points Lilly Pepper. No think Lilly is a sunshine golfer!
ball sweep winners.
Dates for your diary…
Sunday 22nd July at Cortijo Grande and
We have a great deal at Playa Serena
the same few members braved the sun. Golf and it is so good we cannot miss the

The summer football
competition came to a
very tight finish with
the winners being West
Bromwich who scored 23
points as did the runners
up Blackpool but West
Bromwich won it on goal
difference 10 – 6. Well
done to both teams
West Bromwich – Gerard
Douglas / Keith Sephton
/ Richard Swaine / Barry
Woods and Blackpool
– Doreen Hall / Derek Hawkins / Mick
Weston / Gill Young.
Two of our members, Peter Marriott
and Brian Saunders, attended an
Umpires course run by Ruth Compton at

You can also find up-to-date Boxers
information Boxers own website
on www.boxersgs.webs.com or on
the Arboleas Forum Online, www.
arboleas.co.uk Both Sites will have
up-to-date information, features and
results.

Indalo BC at the beginning of the month.
They both passed and were presented
with their Certificates by President
John Sephton. Picture below – L/R
Peter Marriott / John Sephton / Brian
Saunders.

For more information and choice of
Menu, please contact Les Ashton. For
Golfing information such as, if you
would like to join, book a Boxers event,
or would like further information on
Boxers Golf Society, you can find us
every Saturday morning at the Why
Not bar in Albox between 10-11am
or you can contact Brian Mayhew on
649 202 198, for booking or cancelling
any golfing event, Malcolm Nicholls
on 600 080 860, or any Committee
Member, anytime.

August, La Envia. Another important
date for your diary will be The Captain’s
Dinner & Dance, which will be held on
Saturday 18 September at Maloan’s
Restaurant/Bar in Albox, (The old
El Rincon, opposite The BP Garage),
7.30pm for 8pm.

chance to play at this price. It is so good
we have booked for September also.
To reserve your place for 18th August
or any other Wednesday or Sunday call
950 475 509
Enjoy your golf at Cortijo Grande visitors
and guests welcome
MP

Greetings from God’s little waiting
room, where this week I hand
over for a report from our special
correspondent, Shylock, the slim
one.

6 August 2010 - We had 22 players taking part in our regular weekly
competition at Almerimar

This week we played X x Y + Z
(teams of 4, multiply two stableford
scores together and add a 3rd on
each hole). The weather challenged
us a bit this week. It was very windy
indeed.

…“The riddle has been solved;
Porky has been to S.Africa to see the
world cup without telling his papa
Trucker Tel, he will be in heap big
trouble when he gets his hands on
him. The amount of sleepless nights
Tel has had worrying about him.
Now the Guardia will be able to call
Interpol and tell them he has been
found safe and well. Mrs Tel will
also be back to normal now so Tel
will be able to go back to his natural
duties without the worry of Porky
on his mind. As you can see Porky
was snapped in Africa with his little
fez and his vuvuzela trying to sneak
back to his hotel bedroom in the
early hours of the morning (the dirty

little stop out) we all know where he
gets that from. We have asked Tel
not to be too hard on the little fellow
when he tucks him into bed tonight

and to read him a nice bedtime story
and tell him how much he has been
missed!
That’s all for this week...

Monday 2nd August
Temperatures in the high 30’s and
no breeze, for the members Monthly
Medal, made conditions quite testing.
Scores, however, were very
respectable.
The Ladies Division was won by Nuala
Hare with a nett 70, second place was
a three way countback with Sandra
Edwards, nett 72 bbn, taking the prize
from Linda King and Rosalie Fardon.
The Gents Division was won by Gordon

Ross on 67, Andrew Markham was
second with 69 and Tony Cordingley 72
in third.There were five gross two’s:Gordon Ross (2), Frank Varey, Sandra
Edwards and Andrew Markham.
Thursday’s
Team
competition,
organised by Sandra and Peter
Edwards, was teams of three with
the best and worst scores to count on
each hole. The format was not widely
welcomed, however the scoring was
quite close:-

The winners were Idris Browning,
Vic Curran, Richard Cooper and
John Flynn with a team score of 133
points. Last place and chocolates
went to Jacqui Mays, Paul Weston,
Mimmo Pettinicchio and Peter
Edgington with a pretty good score
of 118.

Marina Members Golf Club

Nearest the pin was on hole 5
and it was won by Hans Ooft with a

distance of 3.40m.
Afterwards, as usual for the
summer, we had drinks at the
chiringuito. This week Rudolph
Galliart bought the first drink for
everyone as it was his birthday.
Thanks Rudolph.
You can see the full results at
golf.almerimartoday.com.
If you would like to take part in
the friendly Friday competitions at
Almerimar you can put your name
up on the entry list by the pro-shop
or contact info@almerimartoday.
com.

Valle del Este Golf Society

With one of the quietist weeks we had
for sometime, the heat is too much for
some and others heading back home for
a few weeks.
The new style fairway cuts have
certainly brought down the scores for
the golfer who does not keep it on the
short grass.
Tuesday we played a team game
with the best 3 from 4 scores to count;
winners were John Haydon, Mally
Roberts and Sytse Kuiper (a visitor from
Holland)

Pablos were winners of the
Albox Darts league after a hard
fought battle with Rumores, and
Dave Babb from Rumores threw
well in Semi/Final and Final to
win Champion of Champion
Trophy,with John Walker taking
the highest finish trophy with a

130 finish.

The subsequent Albox & District
Darts League presentation night
was a great success.
Dave Babb was a worthy
winner he beat John Walker 3-1
in semis,and then went on to win

the final in good style by beating
Peter Mackey 4-2. The food was
spot on and entertainment provided by Matt Black - was
great and I think every one had
a good time at the White Horse,
Cucador! By Mark Drew

special offer

green fee + menu 30€
from 1st August until
30th August 2010

only valid the day of the game

Restaurant
Almazara
Monday to friday
1pm - 3.30pm

The attached photo shows
the Team from Bar Andaluz in
Almanzora who won the Albox
Dart League division 2 Spring
season 2010.

Brendan, Pete, Steve.

Back left to right Jim, scorer of
most 100+ for the Team, Frank,

Photo call was followed by a
celebration with a pear punch

Front Jackie, Alfonso (bar
owner), Martin (Team captain)
Sue who received a certificate
for a high checkout of 114.

supplied by Alfonso and his wife
served from a large washing
up bowl and frequently topped
up with a variety of beverages.
There is a rumour that the
glass recycling container in the
village was full by the end of the
evening!